St. Marys awards $6.8M wastewater contract

ST. MARYS - Council members on Monday evening accepted a $6.87 million bid from Peterson Construction, Wapakoneta, to complete up-grades at the city's wastewater treatment plant.

Council members passed under rule suspension an emergency resolution to award the contract to Peterson for a new sludge press facility at the wastewater treatment plant, subject to final approval of funding for the project from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA).

Public service and safety director Greg Foxhoven said the OEPA will provide a low-interest loan from the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund that will cover the entire cost of the project.

Peterson was the sole bidder, Foxhoven said, adding the bid came in 8% higher than estimated.

The new facility will dewater sewage, increase storage capacity and potentially decrease the cost of disposing of sewage, city water and sewer department superintendent Jeff Thompson has said.

Foxhoven said the move is in part to come into compliance with unfunded OEPA mandates which require the elimination of sanitary sewer overflow.

By increasing storage space at the plant through the sludge press dewatering process, the city would create more capacity and hopefully help eliminate overflow during heavy rain events, Thompson had said.

Kelly Jutte, city of St. Marys superintendent of water and sewer plants, said construction must start by Aug. 1 and construction must be completed by Jan. 1, 2024, per the Ohio EPA mandate.

Jutte requested the resolution awarding the contract to Peterson be passed as an emergency because accepting a contract as soon as possible would help keep costs down and get a head start on the work.   

In a related matter, Thompson recommended a 5% wastewater rate increase due to many unfunded OEPA mandates, including upgrades to the existing wastewater treatment plant, pump station upgrades and ultraviolet system replacements.

Thompson reportedly said the improvements are required by the OEPA after extensive negotiations, which could have placed the cost higher, according to a report from water/wastewater committee member Todd Fleagle.

The rate will increase 5% annually for five years and 3% after that, Fleagle said. The 5% increase will increase a normal household's bill by $1-$2 per month and will show up on customers June bill.

City administrators would continue to look at all possible grant funding options, he said. Fleagle said other municipalities and villages also likely will start to implement rate increases due to mandates to meet the Clean Water Act.

"This is probably going to continue until Lake Erie is clear or whatever the ultimate goal is," he said. "It could have been much worse. (The price was negotiated) down to where it's reasonable."

Council also approved under rule suspension an emergency resolution to donate $5,000 to Sue's Animal Rescue Team (SART) to support Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) program.

Foxhoven said ever since SART owners Sue and Bill Cheslock started the program, feral cats have declined significantly in the city.

"They do provide a service for us. Nine years ago when I started this position, I received calls about feral cats probably every other day," he said. "I cannot tell you the last time I received a phone call or complaint about a feral cat. They do just a wonderful job, and we'd like to support them in their efforts."

Fleagle added it would likely cost more money if the city had to handle the feral cats themselves. Foxhoven said the suspension of rules was necessary so the money could be donated as soon as possible.

Additionally, council passed second reading of an emergency ordinance modifying power cost adjustment in electric rates for the municipal electric system. If the ordinance is passed on third reading, it would become effective immediately.

Foxhoven had said some of the larger companies that use the city's electricity have asked to change the rolling three-month average power cost adjustment to a rolling six-month average power cost adjustment to better calculate budgets. He said the changes would not affect other customers.

Council members also,

• passed on third reading a resolution clarifying the name of Edwards Street in the city.

• heard first reading of an ordinance approving the editing and inclusion of certain ordinances as parts of the various component codes of the codified ordinances of the city of St. Marys. Foxhoven said the changes affect the administrative, traffic, general and fire prevention codes and are required due to changes made by the Ohio General Assembly.

• passed as an emergency suspending the three-reading rule an ordinance to extend benefits and wages to supervisory and non-represented employees. Foxhoven said the ordinance extends the same benefits approved by the UWUA agreement to supervisory and certain non-represented employees. The ordinance would affect 22 employees and swimming pool and seasonal employees.

• passed as an emergency suspending the three-reading rule an ordinance to extend benefits and wages to the chief of police, chief records custodian, code enforcement officer and crossing guards, and part-time employees. The ordinance extends benefits approved by the Ohio Patrolmen Benevolent Association union to those employees, Foxhoven said.

• passed as an emergency suspending the three-reading rule an ordinance to extend benefits and wages to the fire department chief. Negotiations have not yet started with the firefighter's union, Foxhoven said, but administrators like to keep all supervisors under the same cycle.

• passed first reading of a resolution to create the position of a temporary resident project representative at a rate of $40 per hour. Foxhoven said the city will hire Dave Sprague for the wastewater treatment project. The city has worked with before, and his hours would not exceed 25 hours per week, Foxhoven said.

The next city council meeting is 6:30 p.m. May 9 in council chambers at the city building, 101 East Spring St.