Sewer rates could be coming down the pipeline

Concerns about sewer rates and the cost of the Clearwater lagoon project were expressed during the April 10 village meeting held at the Clearwater fire hall.

Trustees tabled the purchase of geographic information system equipment to use for locating water and sewer lines.

According to former village trustee Jay Snider, the hand-held equipment, currently requested by village maintenance man Troy Behnke, was to have been included in grant funding the village received.

“It was part of when we lined the sewer lines,” Snider said.

Village Clerk Angie Hupp said the village has a GIS map that can be put in Google maps.

“We didn’t receive any equipment,” Hupp said.

Behnke’s request for $4,045 was earmarked from the approximately $70,000 American Rescue Plan Act funding the village received.

Currently, Behnke has to physically locate each shutoff.

“Next we just have to punch in where we’re going and it shows me where it’s at,” he said.

Sewer rates were also discussed, with Hupp providing an update.

Hupp said the United States Department of Agriculture is "now telling us we're going to have to charge $57 per month for sewer rates, even though that was not what they (trustees) were told at the beginning of the project."

Village engineers, Miller & Associates, of Kearney, are "working on it," Hupp said. "They've been talking to the USDA rep."

Miller & Associates contacted Hupp the afternoon of April 10, notifying the village they had received a table with rates from USDA and had not had time to review it.

"Nobody's numbers are matching or coming up to the same amount," Hupp said.

The engineering firm also informed Hupp that the village still has approximately $100,000 and $180,000 in grant funds from USDA.

"USDA's system is you have to use your entire loan and then you can use grant funds. So, we've gone through our loan. We really don't have anything we can use grant funds toward the lagoon system," Hupp said.

Grant funding cannot be used toward the lagoon loan payment.

"Anything sewer- or lagoon-related that we'd like to purchase with those funds will, otherwise it's a use-it-or-lose-it type of situation and it goes back to USDA," she said.

Miller & Associates personnel suggested the village purchase a sewer jetter.

Trustee Brian King asked if a rate increase would be a direct result of being $1 million over budget on the lagoon project.

Hupp said, "Kind of. What happened was when they started the project, they gave an estimate of $2.9 million of what the project was going to cost. Then between USDA and Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy changing requirements needed for the town, and the length of time it's taken and inflation, it's been adjusted until the project was $4 million something."

King questioned if the village had a contract for the lagoon project, noting he would like an itemized breakdown of expenses.

Hupp said the project came in under budget, but "the budget kept expanding."

Originally, the project was to be a free-discharge cell, then it became a one-cell project.

"Now, all of a sudden, we had to have three cells and that expanded the extent and cost of the contract," Hupp said.

Snider told trustees multiple changes on the project occurred.

"The pivot was supposed to be an eight-tower pivot; it's four. It's supposed to go along the road so you don't have a bunch of underground; it's out in the middle. Some contractors didn't get paid more than what they bid. Somebody else is getting their pockets padded over the deal," he said.

King requested Miller & Associates personnel attend the next village meeting and answer questions.

"That's why a study was done and it came back the most we could afford was $38 per household," Snider said. "That's why we went to that, because our household means of income could not support more than that."

"Now Miller & Associates is hoping to keep it down to $45 per month," Hupp said. "They're our grant administrator."

King also expressed concerns about erosion along the bank near the new lagoon.

"That's a question we could ask Miller & Associates," said village chairman, Kelly Kerkman

In other business, trustees:

• approved five building permits: Aaron Parks house addition; Riley Snider, fence; Cole Scott, shop; Miaha Scott, fence; and Clearwater Chamber, skybox at rodeo grounds;

• discussed mosquito spraying on the north end of town after Bridget Scott expressed concerns about chemical drift on her organic garden;

• approved a $4,000 bid from Snider to hay three village-owned properties; and

• finalized approval of four applications of weed spray and fertilizer at the park, through Tip Top Lawn Care, for $2,250.