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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 2013)
city news City Administrator Report By Bill Haack WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT (WWTP) PROJECT WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT COST ESTIMATE The wastewater treatment plant cost esti- mate is still rough, but is in the range of $5.25 to $6.0 million. It is composed of three main cost components: (1) Flume Improvements - $300,000 to $350,000, (2) Biosolids Remov- al, $600,000 to $800,000, and (3) WWTP Construction and overall Project/Construc- tion Management, $4,500,000. Only element #1 is a reasonably firm estimate at this time. DEQ needs to accept our plans for elements #2 & #3 before the estimates for these as- pects of the project can firm up. In addition, there are construction management costs, testing, reporting etc. that will add $300,000 to these costs for a two year project. WWTP FINANCING PLAN The financing plan for the WWTP con- structed improvements are drawn from three sources: (1) DEQ Loan R93642 - $4.3 mil- lion available, (2) Amendment to DEQ Loan - $1 million (potentially more – City initiated a discussion with DEQ to secure up to a $2 million amendment), and (3) Gap Financ- ing (Wedbush, Seattle Securities NW, USDA RUS, RCAC, CDBG). The City may also refinance the existing USDA RUS bond in- debtedness using financing available from Wedbush. The Wedbush proposal will be presented to the Public Works Committee on 2-26-13, and be brought forward to City Council on 3-4-13. WWTP BUILDING IMPROVMENTS The Planning Commission approved a 720 sq. ft. concrete block building that will provide secure space for the DAF (Dissolved Air Flo- tation) and Disk Filtration system. The elec- trical and instrumentation for these features will all be housed at this site. The building may also afford a future secure location for the lab. WWTP DYKE ELEVATION PROJECT Otak will assess the use of aggregate that Custom Excavating creates through the de- molition of the school campus project. Shan- non & Wilson will conduct an onsite review of the materials to provide a geotechnical assessment of these building materials. If this source of rock and gravel can be used, it should provide a cost savings to the project, over importing gravel and engineered fill from our closest quarry. In the short-term, the City will use some aggregate from the school site as temporary surcharge ballast to compact soils associated with the pipe connection at the Headworks prior to the dyke elevation project. The dykes will nominally be elevated four feet, or to no less than 622.7 feet above sea level – at this height the improvements are above the 500 year flood plan required by DEQ//FEMA. WWTP PIPE GALLERY INSTALLATION PROJECT Tetra Tech and Otak are working on estab- lishing the construction logic for the installa- tion of the pipe gallery under the linear trail, and the related modification in the trail when restored to a lower elevation to reduce flood water damage in the event of a high water event in the future. The pipe gallery will be manually operated by city staff. WWTP ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Pacific Habitat continues to develop an envi- ronmental assessment to meet DEQ/EPA re- quirements. This past week they were onsite to complete an archeological assessment of the project improvement area. BIOSOLIDS PLAN Otak developed a Biosolids Sampling Plan and submitted it to DEQ. The Plan intends to secure approval from DEQ to direct our efforts to sample the biosolids to then deter- mine the method of processing that we will need to follow. The sampling will include lo- cations with Lagoon One & Two only. The chemical composition of the sampled biosol- ids also determines costs as “hotter” biosol- ids require most comprehensive testing and land application methods. The cost compo- nent of processing is a variable at this time as it is dependent on the following: (1) biosol- ids sampling that describe the quantity and chemical/nutrient quality of the sampling es- timates, (2) coordinating of the project within the larger construction project that minimizes delays and mobilization costs, and (3) timing of transport as after July 1, 2013 more farms nearer us are available, prior to July 1, 2013, the land application sites are as far away as Hermiston. HEADWORKS PARSHALL FLUME & RE- LATED IMPROVEMENTS Under separate contract with Otak, a Head- works Flume Improvement project plans and specifications is developed and submitted to DEQ for concurrence. The project will involve earthwork, soil compaction, excava- tion, pipe installation, adjustments to mea- suring devises and a modification to the Par- shall Flume section of the Headworks. The project includes a modification of the Par- Budget Committee Position Open The Budget Committee consists of the members of the local governing body and an equal number of citizens at large. The citizens are appointed by the governing body and serve terms of three years. Terms are staggered so that about one-third of the appointed terms end each year. This fiscal year 2013-2014 has one (1) volunteer opening for citizens for the Budget Committee. Please fill out an Application for Appointment (found on the web page City Info/ forms & documents) or you may pick up a form at City Hall, 1001 Bridge Street, Vernonia OR 97064. The Budget Committee Meetings will begin March 2013. Questions please contact Angie Handegard, Administrator 503-429-5291 ext. 107 Finance HOW TO APPLY Please complete a volunteer Application for Appointment and return it to City Hall, 1001 Bridge Street, Vernonia OR 97064 or Fax to 503-429-4232. The Volunteer Application is available on the cities web page at www.vernonia-or.gov City Info/Forms and documents or you may pick up an application at City Hall. A copy of the Ordinance for Committees is available at City Hall. Questions please contact Joann Glass, City Recorder 503-429-5291 ext. 106. february21 2013 shall Flume that will increase the accuracy of the measured flow from the three pumping stations through the headworks. The project will also install eight hundred feet of 18 inch pipe that will allow the effluent to move more freely from the headworks into Lagoon One – Replacing a 12 inch pipe. The City intends to bid this repair and see construction com- pleted within the next three months so to not delay the start of construction on the larger project – WWTP Improvement Project. RFQ PRESELECTION OF BIDDERS Otak in conjunction with the City Attorney de- signed a Request for Qualifications to secure an eligible pool of bidders for the wastewater treatment plant facility improvement project. CDBG CLOSEOUT UPDATES The City will work with CDBG Program Representatives to close out CDBG Grant P06021 (Wastewater Facility Design) and CDBG Grant D08018 (Wastewater Facilities Plan Update). The City received an exten- sion through June 2013 on P06021. The City is on schedule to close D08018 within 45 days. When both of these CDBG grants are administratively closed by CDBG program staff, the City will be eligible to pursue future CDBG program applications. OTHER PUBLIC WORKS ACTIVITY MASTER CAPITAL PLAN AND SEWER AND WATER RATE STUDIES The consultants working on the sewer rate study, the one year look back at the water rate study and the master capital plan team are sharing information to make their projec- tions similar. We are hoping that the sewer and water rate study will be in reasonably complete form to allow the FY 2013-2014 budget to be informed, but it may not work out that way. The same is true with the Mas- ter Capital Plan. Regardless of the timing of these studies the City will work to see that they are completed. STREETS DEPARTMENT CALIFORNIA AVENUE BUSINESS PARK The City continues to work with Brad Curtis (owner of Photo Solutions) and Casey Mitch- City Information and Updates Available by Email Citizens who wish to receive meeting information and updates can request to be placed on an email list at City Hall. Please contact Joann Glass at joann@ vernonia-or.gov and asked to be placed on the “Citizen Notification List.” 5 ell (owner of land along undeveloped Cali- fornia Avenue) to assess whether the City coordinate an application for Special Public Works Fund and/or Immediate Opportunity Fund resources to assist in the development of a small business park. PARKS DEPARTMENT OPRD SPENCER PARK DEVELOPMENT The City signed and returned the Agreement No LGP0252-1 Spencer Park Development. The award of these funds will be used to pur- chase and install a restroom in the replace- ment park that will be built on the site of the old school campus. The funds will pay for a restroom, picnic shelter and some ADA walk- way improvements. OPRD MASTER PARK PLAN The City provided Jim Sandlin, project man- ager with MacKay and Sposito Landscape Architects with information to assist them prepare for the Master Park Plan process. The Master Park Plan intends to look at all of the city’s land holdings from Vernonia Lake to Anderson Park. We will use this process to also look at the connection between Hawkins Park, Shay Park, and the open space proxi- mate to these land holdings. The goal of this process is to identify a meaningful approach to the long term development of City park properties that will promote recreation, tour- ism and economic befits to the community. VERNONIA LAKE – RESTROOM IN- STALLED Public Works Department installed the re- placement restroom at Vernonia Lake to serve both campers, fisherman, and the community allowing for greater recreational opportunity. VERNONIA LAKE PUMPING FACILITY City staff met with Oregon Fish and Wildlife, continued on page 6 Vernonia City Council Meetings City Council Meetings are scheduled for 7 PM: Monday, March 4 Monday, March 18 Dates and times subject to change due to conflicts of schedules
