By Mari Radtke
A committee of Paullina’s council to consider projects facing the community as it tries to come out of a 2-year period of chaos were addressed on Tuesday Janiuary 23. Dennis Werkmeister, Chair of that 2-councilperson committee and Steve Heeren met in open session with Superintendent of Utilities Kelly Top. Also in attendance were Mayor Marlin Sjaarda, councilmembers Carol Honkomp and Jean Unrau and both City Clerk Michelle Wilson and Deputy Clerk Alex Griggs.
A long needed upgrade for water treatment in Paullina was the first item discussed. This project proposes to improve the electronic communication and alarms between the wells and the treatment plants (settling tanks) along Highway 10. Top noted that well pumps need updating and they may need to add sand to the filter. One of the settling tanks is not usable.
Mike Carr from DGR Engineering noted a 0% 3-year State Revolvng Loan (SRF) for the project may be available. This is the project he projects could take until 2027 to complete.
Sjaarda participated in the discussion fully. He suggested that pre-project planning work be paid from the SRF. He also encouraged getting estimates for the next regular full council meeting. He considered the estimates a priority.
The “Southwest Feeder Underground Project” was discussed. This project involves burying the electric lines around the school during construction of new facilities. Materials have been ordered. Two transformers at a cost of approximately $60,000 have an expected arrival date of next fiscal year. Total project costs are anticipated near $180,000. Top reported that he expects the school district will pay for the transformers. He was instructed to do what he can [toward this project] under this current budget. Top described the project to include city staff to do the labor to bury the cable. The plan includes versatility into the project for current flow to minimize power outages in the event of damage. TCA will be paid for labor to do the boring for this project. Those payroll costs are anticipated to come from the city’s TCA revenue.
No public hearing has been held for this project or for the switchgear upgrades.
The final utility project discussed at this committee meeting is the lagoon aerator project. The city has approximately $134,000 ARPA funds (corrected from an error in the January 25 Bell-Times-Courier). The ARPA funds have been named to this project in a timely way. The named project must be completed no later than December 31, 2026. The aerator projects have been bid but no timeline has been announced.
The total cost of the selected bid is $482,727.50 from King Construction. This is the second bid King Construction has put in for this project to Paullina. The bid is good for 30 days.
Paullina council needs to figure out how to fund the remaining $350,000-ish. During the committee meeting Sjaarda recommended delaying accepting the bid until the remaining funding can be identified. Funding sources under consideration are state RLF loans, issuing a bond, grants (if there is time), cash on hand in the sewer fund and rate increases. The balances of any of the city’s funds have still not been made available. A combination of any or all of these is a probable outcome.
The conversation about the utilities led Sjaarda into speaking in support of consideration of a city manager, a person who could take some of the tasks necessary to plan these kinds of projects from the day-to-day duties of current staff.