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Sewer plant proves vexing

City Council to take up issue again Tuesday
The future of Durango’s waterwater-treatment plant is undecided. But Durango City Council will likely approve ballot language Tuesday to ask the voters to approve a bond issue for a $68 million project.

The message from the Utilities Commission on Monday on finding a spot to locate a new sewer plant was mixed, and ultimately the commission didn’t give the Durango City Council any direction.

City Council will likely vote Tuesday to send a question about financing a $68 million sewer plant project to the voters. But the councilors have not yet decided whether to remodel the existing plant in Santa Rita Park or build a new plant.

Councilors do not have to make a decision on a location before approving a ballot question. But if they don’t make a decision on the ballot question by Friday, the vote on debt financing would be delayed another year, and it could make it more challenging for the city to meet more stringent state regulations in the coming years.

After more than an hour in a closed executive session to discuss real estate transactions, two utilities commissioners made opposite motions about the sewer plant location, but neither garnered support.

Commissioner Bob Wolff made a motion urging councilors to vote to remodel the plant at Santa Rita Park. On Tuesday, councilors will consider a measure that declares the remodel the council’s preferred project.

“If you don’t say what you’re intentions are, you are going to have a bigger problem,” Wolff told the two councilors in attendance.

Wolff later chose not to support his own motion, and it attracted only one vote from the commission’s chairman, John Ballew.

He said he felt consultants hired by the city to look at alternative locations did a thorough study.

“I think we’ve looked at everything,” he said.

Commissioner Dick Reitz moved to recommend the city look at three private parcels above the high bridge that could serve as a single site for the plant. But his motion didn’t attract substantial support.

Mayor Dean Brookie responded by telling the commission that city councilors are open to new potential sewer sites, and the private parcels would be investigated further, even though the city has ruled them out previously.

If the councilors settle on a plan for the sewer plant that is more than $68 million, they would have to have hold another election to approve more debt.

A remodel of the Santa Rita plant is estimated to cost $58 million, and the additional $10 million would be contingency money that could be used on other sewer projects.

Any sewer plant project will be paid for through sewer-service fees that increased in January and are slated to increase again in 2016 and 2017.

mshinn@durangoherald.com

Aug 29, 2015
With deadline looming, no site selected for sewer plant
Aug 12, 2015
Durangoans question sewer-plant options
Aug 11, 2015
Move or remodel sewer plant?


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