Concerns Related to Renovation of Mt Vernon City Wastewater Facility and City’s Request for a Rate Increase Legislation 2020-39 January 2021

The Mt Vernon City Waster Water Facility (WW) has been deteriorating and failing for several years. In 2017 the city hired a consulting firm (Strand Associates) to assess the status of the Mt Vernon WW plant and to report what renovations and up-grades are needed.  This 2017 Strand Report identified what WW upgrades are required. The 6-7 major items are:

  • Renovation of Digesters and Sludge Storage Tank
  • Installation of Jet Mixing System in Digesters
  • Piping Modifications
  • Additional Sludge Storage Tank Upgrades
  • Replacement of Gas Safety Equipment
  • Chemicals for Phosphorous removal
  • Modifications fats, oils & greases

In 2017, Strand estimated the cost to perform these renovations to be approximately 10 million dollars. To fund this project, the city is requesting a 52% increase in WW rates over the next 3 years.

But the city has not presented a detailed plan of how it would execute or implement the many multiple tasks needed to successfully renovate the WW facility. Though the city is requesting a 52% rate increase, it has not shown justification for this level of rate increase. A detailed plan is needed to support the city’s request for a WW rate increase.

  • Need a plan that shows a timeline of how the many project tasks and project milestones will be managed and sequenced for an extended project life of 5-7 years.
  • Need a plan that includes a comprehensive project budget and how the project would be financed.
  • Need a plan that shows a timeline to source project materials and supporting contractors.
  • Need detailed plan that shows a schedule or timeline of the multiple phases of this project: such as the contractor bidding phases, the design phases and then the construction phases for each of the renovations.
  • Need a plan showing required manpower and personnel to complete the project.

How do we know the city can effectively and efficiently utilize the requested funds generated by a rate hike if there is no detailed plan in place? The city has not demonstrated that it has carefully planned, resourced, analyzed, and scheduled this important WW project.  Our question is this: When will the city present to City Council and to the citizens of Mt Vernon a proper and comprehensive project plan on how it would renovate the WW Facility?