City looks at options for funding wastewater treatment improvements

The Glencoe City Council, city administration and Plato city staff — including Mayor Bob Becker, Plato City Council Member Stacy Sohns, City Clerk Gerri Scott and Josh Eckstein, engineer with Bolton & Menk — heard an updated presentation from Karen Cavett of Short, Elliot Hendrickson (SEH), Inc., about the financial implications of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) project and the wastewater rates necessary for the $22.3 million project.
Cavett began the presentation by reiterating the necessity of the project: “It’s a combination of the new limits for phosphorus and then also the age (of the facility). Probably the newest part of the facility is still 20 years old. It’s at the point where we do need a major overhaul.”
Mayor Randy Wilson added that it is normal for cities to replace their wastewater treatment plant every 20 years. Cavett said that the city is “right on schedule” for a new facility.
Before discussing the necessary wastewater rates, Cavett revisited the funding situation for the project. At the 60-percent project review, the price of the project cost estimate rose to $22.3, a $1 million increase from the 30-percent project review. This cost increase can be attributed to the details of the project as SEH receive more accurate numbers.
The city of Glencoe has applied for a $7 million PSIG grant (Point Source Implementation Grant) to help fund the project. The grant is split as an 80 percent grant and a 20 percent loan which, according to Cavett, is the best split she has seen for the grant so far.
For more about the wastewater improvement project, see the Jan. 31 print edition of The Chronicle.