City council to discuss response to DNR consent order on sewage system upgrades

The Sedalia City Council on Tuesday will continue discussions on the city’s response to a Department of Natural Resources consent order regarding sewer system improvements and take up the removal of parking restrictions around Smith-Cotton Junior High School.

With city offices closed for the Labor Day holiday on Monday, the council is scheduled to convene at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday for a work session, followed by its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall.

During the work session, council members are expected to discuss proposed legislation to establish a permitting process and rate structure for liquid hauled waste. If adopted, the regulations would go into effect in January 2011.

The council also is set to consider an amendment to its master agreement with Olsson Associates, the company the city contracted to perform engineering support services for upcoming sewer work related to the DNR consent order, to conduct a sewer rate study and make recommendations on how to finance the upcoming sewer projects.

The city will be required to make about $30 million in sanitary sewer and storm water improvements over the next five years to come into compliance with the consent order, which is expected to necessitate a series of increases in sewer rates moving forward.

The resolution approving the rate study would add $25,000 to the existing agreement. The results of the study are expected to be presented to the council at a meeting in October.
Council members also are expected to consider an ordinance removing several parking restrictions on the streets around Smith-Cotton Junior High. The council tabled the ordinance in July after concerns were raised about whether fire engines and ladder trucks would be able to maneuver through the streets if the restrictions were removed.

Since then, Fire Chief Mike Ditzfeld, Public Works Director Bill Beck and City Attorney Anne Gardner have reviewed the concerns, returning a recommendation that all but two of the existing restrictions — those on South Lamine Avenue between East 10th and East 12th streets and on East 11th Street between South Ohio Avenue and Ingram Avenue — be removed.

The council also will take up an ordinance that would restructure the management of the Public Works Department. Council members reviewed a presentation on the proposal during a work session last month.

The proposed changes would replace the public works superintendent and two assistant superintendent positions with three supervisors individually dedicated to the street, sanitation and vehicle maintenance departments. They also would reduce the street department staff by three positions, add a lead mechanic for vehicle maintenance and replace one senior engineering technician position with a public works project manager. If approved, the measure is expected to cut annual department spending by more than $26,000.

In other business, the council is scheduled to:

•Review an ordinance accepting an agreement with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission regarding airport improvements. The city received a $92,435 federal grant for runway improvements and ramp reconstruction. The grant requires a 5 percent match of $4,865.

•Consider a $6,899 change order on the construction of the Biosolids Composting Facility. The change order was required because contractors had to install 250 feet of electrical conduit that was not addressed in the pre-construction meeting. If approved, the adjustment would bring the total project cost to $1,580,648.