[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6341684,"mediaKeyId","2256551-b9ffbe03c1af7c5e4c62743dd4ee62e9","parentId",2256551,"title","Moline officials hear $100M+ estimate for South Slope wastewater upgrade, move to secure IEPA loan application","audioSeconds",2495,"startMs",260000,"endMs",2755000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2256551-b9ffbe03c1af7c5e4c62743dd4ee62e9&start=260&end=2755","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2256551-b9ffbe03c1af7c5e4c62743dd4ee62e9/thumbnail_260000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6341684/Moline-City/Rock-Island/Illinois/Moline-officials-hear-100M-estimate-for-South-Slope-wastewater-upgrade-move-to-secure-IEPA-loan-application","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6341684-9bb44e6376f35b315ffa682d78a062a6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195780&Signature=YHQ0xRp7v7XhdTdJpwdqRiyjcvsHrs8H2cjLZGkLpvkpR0DhYIvuqZ0t3f6nDyIfFLPAtyMyRcNsC~-Yg4mWO8rRE-cf7mYDwIcklN0wcFR6rTAZDcV1it1LEzpHMH-6CvIHCSE8fyGX9KQxcCvkRbkKCc4wzzkYcXfYRF3y3y7gnyB1wymsWX6aa9KkkB5N0i3FZaMw7NcN~C2sGLijYtg3cTZ~-tinOVSIktSNGl7Wqsyng82HYq3hLNcYDF3EGOWuxM9xAoqPPyKOCM3VTz25udYXjv1DamK7yv5VJtn-AJyRnqg1Ro3owNbeLw6P4bPjLeyimdc3wYiM4dyKUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Moline, IL","date","2025-02-10T17:16:16Z","article","Moline officials heard Tuesday that design changes and new federal requirements have pushed the estimated cost to rebuild and upgrade the South Slope Wastewater Treatment Plant to roughly $100 million to $110 million, and the council approved staff to proceed with an application for low-interest financing from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).

The presentation by Strand Associates emphasized three drivers of the cost increase: mandatory flood-elevation work to meet FEMA and city ordinance requirements, compliance with Build America, Buy America (BABA) provisions that raised equipment prices, and unexpectedly large underground piping and electrical work. Troy Stinson of Strand Associates told the council that the plant’s useful equipment life and changed regulatory requirements left few options short of substantial reconstruction.

The IEPA loan application resolution the council approved authorizes the mayor and city clerk to execute loan paperwork and lets finance and utility staff submit payment requests and reimbursements if the city decides to borrow. Council later advanced (to second reading) a separate ordinance authorizing borrowing under the IEPA Water Pollution Control Loan Program; advancing the ordinance does not by itself obligate the city to borrow.

Why it matters: South Slope handles wastewater for Moline and some neighboring jurisdictions. The project must meet a new phosphorus limit in the plant’s MPDS permit and be resilient to flood conditions; both regulatory drivers increase capital cost. If the city pursues the IEPA loan and bids the project on the schedule staff outlined, the work will affect rate forecasting and capital planning for the next decades.

Key details from the presentation:
- Planning history and scope: Strand reviewed the plant’s construction history (original structures from the 1950s, expansions in the 1960s and 1980) and said much of the site is aged, with several unit processes and structures beyond typical useful life. The recommended plan consolidates separate processes, removes older RBC units, expands activated sludge capacity, and switches to UV disinfection. The package includes new inflow/preliminary treatment, new final clarifiers, solids handling, a blower building, operations and maintenance facilities and upgraded pumping and piping.
- Cost trajectory: Consultants said the 2021 planning opinion was about $70 million. During design, unanticipated needs and market conditions pushed a September 2024 60% design estimate into the $80–85 million range. After factoring flood-elevation work, Build America/Buy America compliance, electrical and piping increases seen in recent regional bids, and a higher contingency for a thin bidding market, consultants said the opinion of probable cost is now roughly $100–$110 million. Strand said the city’s debt-authorization ordinance before council was drafted at $120 million to provide a buffer; that ordinance only sets a borrowing cap and does not itself commit the city to borrow.
- Funding and financing: The city has a reserved IEPA Intended Use Plan allocation of $73.5 million (staff said that figure appears on the IEPA list for this fiscal year). Strand and city finance staff presented scenarios that blend IEPA loan funds with local bonding. IEPA loan terms noted in the presentation included a current interest rate near 1.87% and a new option to amortize over 30 years; staff said an environmental discount of 0.20% will be requested because the project addresses nutrient removal. Strand warned the council that additional bypass funds could become available in February if other projects on IEPA’s list are not ready, but that additional funding is not guaranteed.
- Operating and scheduling impacts: Consultants said the site must be phased to keep treatment operating during construction; they recommended advertising for bids by mid-February to meet IEPA funding timelines, opening bids in March and starting construction in August, with about a four-year construction period to substantial completion. Strand and finance staff noted interest accrues during construction; the first principal-and-interest payment on an IEPA loan would not be due until substantial completion, currently projected in the schedule.
- Cost-control options discussed: staff and consultants described bid alternatives that could reduce initial capital cost, including making the new operations building a deductive alternative (estimated capital savings ~ $4–$5 million), specifying less-costly screening equipment, downsizing standby generators, substituting piping materials, or eliminating a fermenter (a biological phosphorus removal item) in favor of increased chemical dosing. Each trade-off has operational consequences (for example, eliminating the fermenter reduces capital cost but raises chemical operating costs).
- Market factors and procurement risk: Strand highlighted a thin contractor market on recent comparable projects (examples cited included bids in Ames, New Lenox and Cedar Rapids), high copper and electrical-material prices, and uncertainties about BABA compliance that had raised some equipment estimates by large percentages; Strand increased contingency to reflect the risk of limited bidders and higher contractor overhead.

What council approved and next steps: The council approved a resolution authorizing the mayor and city clerk to execute IEPA loan application documents (staff may complete and submit the application). Council then advanced the related borrowing ordinance to a second reading; that ordinance, if adopted later, would authorize borrowing under the IEPA loan program up to the ordinance amount. Staff said they will continue design work, pursue additional IEPA bypass funding if available in February, and return with final bid documents and ordinance language. If the project proceeds, construction would be phased to maintain operations and could take about four years.

Noted cautions and questions: Councilmembers pressed staff about whether capacity was increasing (consultants said the upgraded plant will handle peak flows and is more efficient but that average flows are well below permitted capacity), the impact on rates (finance staff presented illustrative scenarios showing modest per-residence monthly increases in later years if the larger cost estimate is needed), and the reliability of market estimates. Staff said they will continue to refine design, seek value-engineering and present concrete bid alternatives before awarding any contract.

Ending note: Staff emphasized that the council’s loan-application resolution is a procedural step to preserve access to IEPA funds and does not commit the city to borrow; council members said they wanted continued vetting of alternatives and close cost review before any final borrowing or construction authorization.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Moline City Council Meeting January 21, 2025.","oneSentenceSummary","Moline officials heard Tuesday that design changes and new federal requirements have pushed the estimated cost to rebuild and upgrade the South Slope Wastewater Treatment Plant to roughly $100 million to $110 million, and the council approved staff to proceed with an IEPA loan application.","taxTitle","Moline City , Rock Island, Illinois","taxId",53268,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6341675,"Council actions at a glance: loan application for South Slope, consent items and zoning moves",1530,6858000,8388000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2256551-b9ffbe03c1af7c5e4c62743dd4ee62e9&start=6858&end=8388","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2256551-b9ffbe03c1af7c5e4c62743dd4ee62e9/thumbnail_6858000.jpg","/articles/6341675/Moline-City/Rock-Island/Illinois/Council-actions-at-a-glance-loan-application-for-South-Slope-consent-items-and-zoning-moves","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6341675-7ed962de14a06efb6266dd06aa5b9114/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195780&Signature=WvM7NiOaFbj-Xsk3l0SwPwoSjWb6KiVt9~6D5PfHzntJah6rueBf1oL4f4SzJ~TAptPXjjdhJurF6nGRtZUyRNJkffuGaWEuT3IdCSh--T-ohIOn5rplMqNHsBNIMWh63ukvNtU4YgK-NhRHc62bl2pjFu6oFSDMKvSiJdkxD0hfCpFt~b65oQX1tG-pVrQjthg8sjqGbsw9U0HOHxr0lS6Yoyy44MA3NviLE2pxK~FtaZRlHfyssxl31s7QzjgJumvlQ7ZSCzQiY85JF3EKJ-7ZTfAo46We7tUbRipMkL-vfJaFdSwA-RVfX3xk8YIvmN9LmNS6ougGOiMRN9G2Rg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Moline City Council took multiple procedural and substantive actions at the Committee of the Whole/Council session Tuesday. The most consequential votes were procedural steps that preserve financing options for the South Slope wastewater project; other approved items included small construction change orders, contract awards, license ordinance amendments and grant-application authorizations. One regional economic partnership agreement was tabled for revision.

Votes at a glance (items and outcomes):
- Authorize IEPA loan application for South Slope wastewater plant (Resolution 9.7): Approved (voice vote).
- Advance ordinance to borrow funds from IEPA (Ordinance 21.2): Advanced to second reading (vote recorded as unanimous advancement during roll call).
- Alley reconstruction contract (Collins Concrete) — Project No. 1482: Approved (resolution 17.1; roll call 8 ayes, 0 nays).
- Midtown parking ramp: change order no. 1 (expansion joint repairs) $15,638.79: Approved (9.2).
- Midtown parking ramp: change order no. 1 (access controls) $23,719.57: Approved (9.3).
- Tobacco-license ordinance amendments (increase number of tobacco licenses; three applicants): Approved (items 9.4, 9.5, 9.6). The council later adopted second-reading amendments to the broader tobacco moratorium (item 19.1) to permit a purchaser of an existing business with a valid license to apply for the same class of license; the amended ordinance passed on second reading.
- Apply for U.S. DOT RAISE grant (I-74 Riverfront Reimagine) (9.8 / 20.2): Approved (voice vote; staff said the application includes a 10% local match already budgeted).
- Generator purchase (Altober Power Systems) $102,608 for City Hall: Approved (20.1; recorded roll call: unanimous among voting members).
- Grow Quad Cities economic-development partnership agreement: TABLED to the next meeting for inclusion of agreed edits (20.3). Councilmembers requested the revised agreement be circulated to members prior to take-up; one councilmember recused on this item and left the chamber for the vote to table.

Context and next steps: Approving the IEPA loan application preserves the city’s eligibility for the IEPA Intended Use Plan funding and allows staff to seek loan commitment; staff noted that authorization to apply is not the same as committing to borrow. The ordinance to borrow funds was advanced to a second reading; council will consider final adoption at a later meeting. The Grow Quad Cities item was tabled so council could review a revised exhibit that staff and partner cities circulated after the initial packet.","Council approved a set of resolutions and ordinances at the Committee of the Whole/Council meeting that included authorization to submit an IEPA loan application for the South Slope project, small capital contracts and several tobacco-license amendments; one regional economic agreement was tabled for revision.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6341679,"Tri-city housing reports: consultants find gaps in supply, persistent affordability and recommend targeted actions",2997,3277000,6274000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2256551-b9ffbe03c1af7c5e4c62743dd4ee62e9&start=3277&end=6274","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2256551-b9ffbe03c1af7c5e4c62743dd4ee62e9/thumbnail_3277000.jpg","/articles/6341679/Moline-City/Rock-Island/Illinois/Tri-city-housing-reports-consultants-find-gaps-in-supply-persistent-affordability-and-recommend-targeted-actions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6341679-9ba164d32a7153efd2ebc27bfdedc718/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195780&Signature=Y0yk-b3~P4QPbacjxEV93EM6pyyoQyU2MLCsR-z0zj-V5HE7LE-GaWjI8Yu9Iw5S-di73-MRVHwb8-KikE8r0hjt39q1jC4k-BC3i3~1JEelY9pa0gD8sbHlOAlasKIyUEYD7x0tzLBMcJtYWY457diJuwK1OJyaYuPgnU0IDjqcUGDiIGIvV~UbSFZTQjk00NcHMklscIP-XjlK5XGWmc~YjtAijsG1DN92JAGC1nHyklqiTGuUv-yKCAD4DfVVBp0nDLt-Qq5R4D8-F0lhH3scTAatX4I6H6dFs-uAPUO5f0FCcn-LTipQmDZRkDIyQFuIc7uLXSyqSOZoPvTY4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff and consultants presented two HUD-required reports Tuesday that will feed the city’s next five-year Consolidated Plan: a housing needs assessment by Points Consulting and an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice conducted with Mosaic Community Planning. The council was not asked for action; staff said final reports would be posted for a 30-day public comment period and returned to council for the consolidated-plan schedule.

Why it matters: As a CDBG entitlement jurisdiction, Moline must show HUD how it will target community development resources. Consultants identified supply gaps, concentrated areas of housing problems, and barriers that disproportionately affect households of color and other underserved populations. Their recommendations are intended to inform how the city allocates CDBG and other housing dollars over the coming five years.

Key findings and recommendations:
- Two complementary studies: Points Consulting delivered a housing needs assessment (supply-demand balance, permit trends, and community survey) and Mosaic delivered an Analysis of Impediments (mapping segregation, poverty, school proficiency, access to opportunity, and housing problems). Staff said both reports will be finalized and posted for public comment before the consolidated plan is drafted.
- Demand and supply: Points presented two population-forecast scenarios: a status-quo model that implies limited net housing demand and an optimistic model that shows substantially higher demand (consultants cited a status-quo housing shortfall under 1,100 units vs. an optimistic demand up to about 4,400 units over the forecast horizon). The optimistic scenario assumed stronger economic development than the status quo.
- Affordability and filtering: Consultants described “filtering” — higher-income households moving to new construction and older housing becoming available to lower-income households — as an important mechanism but cautioned that filtering does not alone meet local affordability needs. Survey responses (706 respondents) suggested community appetite for a mix of housing types, including higher-density and missing-middle units.
- Vacant-property and land-bank work: Points reported active vacant-property work in Moline (the city created a vacant-property list in 2020; out of 463 identified, consultants said 319 were no longer vacant as of their data collection because of demolition, sale or rehabilitation). They recommended accelerating land-bank transfer using certified-judgment procedures and using acquisition/demolition/rehab funds to repurpose vacant properties.
- Programs to consider: Recommendations included community land trusts, nonprofit “step-up” rehabilitation programs that incentivize donors through tax deductions, IHDA mortgage assistance programs (forgivable/deferred/repayable products), and encouraging higher-density, low-maintenance units in business districts (zoning changes to allow mixed-use and smaller unit minimums in B2/B3 and R5 zones were cited as levers).
- Fair housing findings: Mosaic’s analysis mapped racial/ethnic concentrations, poverty and opportunity indicators. The report found disparities in housing problems: roughly 25% of white households faced one or more housing problems (affordability, overcrowding or substandard conditions) vs. higher rates among Black and Hispanic households (40% and 34% respectively in the consultant’s table). Mosaic recommended funding priorities, landlord outreach for voucher acceptance, and targeted fair-housing education for limited-English-proficiency communities.

Next steps and timing: Staff said consultants will finalize the reports within ~30 days, the city will publish the documents for a 30-day public comment period and then incorporate the analyses into the consolidated plan once HUD’s funding formulas are released (staff said the consolidated plan timeline depends on congressional action to finalize allocations). Staff indicated they expect to return to council with consolidated-plan recommendations in March; no council action was requested Tuesday.

Ending: Councilmembers and staff discussed zoning, “missing middle” strategies such as duplex conversions and accessory dwelling units, and community reinvestment tools. Staff said the reports are intended to guide CDBG allocations (rehab, demolition, homebuyer assistance) and other local housing policy work in the coming year.","Points Consulting and Mosaic presented a housing needs assessment and an analysis of impediments to fair housing for Moline and partner cities; consultants recommended a mix of targeted CDBG-funded programs, land-bank acceleration, community land trust strategies and zoning/permit reforms to expand affordable and diverse housing supply.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Moline officials hear $100M+ estimate for South Slope wastewater upgrade, move to secure IEPA loan application

Council actions at a glance: loan application for South Slope, consent items and zoning moves

Tri-city housing reports: consultants find gaps in supply, persistent affordability and recommend targeted actions