Public hearing held on wastewater facility

GLENWOOD CITY — The City Council entertained a public hearing in regards to the proposed upgrades to the Wastewater Treatment facility that is shared by the City and the Village of Downing.

The facility is in need of upgrades and repairs and must come into compliances with Phosphorus and Ammonia limits as set by the state, which has a deadline of 2018.

Back in October the council looked at a plan that was put together by Foth Infrastructure and Environment LLCX out of DePere, Wisconsin. Their estimated cost of the improvements at the treatment plant is $968,000. At a special meeting in November, City Council meeting, members entertained a representative from Cooper Engineering out of Rice Lake with a plan for the facility that would cost some $200,000 less than the Foth plan.

The difference in the plan is that the Foth plan would have the facility operating about the same manner as it is now, but with replacement of needed equipment and piping. It would have constructed a fourth area where the wastewater is treatment before it is drained into the large area called the artificial wet land where a chemical would be added to reduce the Phosphorus. Under the Cooper plan, the large area would be reconstructed into five holding ponds and the wastewater coming from the aeration ponds would be allowed to seep into the ground. This would remove the need to treat the wastewater for Phosphorus because none of the treated water enters into a natural wetlands or Tiffany Creek.

At the public hearing Monday evening, the council and a few local residents listen to Phil Kurth of Foth explain the proposed plan with the use of slides. He noted that the facility was first constructed in 1964 and upgraded in 1981. He also presented the cost estimates for the project and that it would cost users of the system about $10.00 to $12.00 extra per month.

Under the Foth plan, the Council would make a commitment next month and then plan development would take place with bidding in October and construction starting in November of 2016 with completion in November of 2017.

Mayor John Larson questioned Kurth about the seeping cell idea that Cooper had proposed, but he stuck to his plan as the best.

A New Pickup

Public Workers Director Doug Doornink, and David Caress, who will be taking over the job as Public Worker Director, addressed the council about the need for a new pickup truck. Doornink told the council that he would stay on as long as he is asked to. He discussed the need to replace a 1997 Ford half-ton pickup, noting that the floorboards have been replaced with old stop signs to cover the rusting holes. He informed the Council that he had obtained prices for a new truck at about $27,000. He indicated that he was trying to locate a good used unit, but one that has a regular cab and an eight-foot box is hard to find. After some discussion the mayor told him to keep looking.

City attorney Autumn Lindquist updated the Council on the Municipal Court by saying that Reserve Judges are coming to Glenwood City and currently tickets are being written for a February Court and after that the last municipal Court will be held in April before it is abandoned. Mayor Larson noted that a judge from New Richmond was on the bench last week.

In other action the Council approved the following as election inspectors for the next two years. They are: Barb Dillow (Chief Inspector); Karen Marlette, Linda Krizan, Karen Peterson, Barb Stohr, Tricia Kremer, Jill Logghe, Syliva Bonte and Marlene Kerr.