Sewer improvements put on hold for now
City officials plan to proceed with only one of the projects proposed for water and sewer improvements, which may help to avert another rate increase.
Water and Sewer Committee Chairman Jimmy Bonner and other members of that committee voted to build a 3-million-gallon water storage tank Monday with the intent of using borrowed funds from a state loan program. But they do not plan to immediately proceed with sewer improvements designed to recycle human waste.
Officials from the loan program have independently confirmed that to do both projects, estimated at more than $4 million, a 3 percent increase for two consecutive years would be necessary. However, according to the manager of that program, a rate increase is not necessary to do one of them.
City officials said Monday they want to build the tank first and review the situation again this summer before addressing the sewer project. They have indicated the new storage tank will be located in the Highway 127 and Highway 108 area.
Bonner said he did not foresee another rate increase at this time, adding painting of the downtown water tank is also planned. He had cited the three projects together as reasons for the last rate increase.