Saratoga County raises biosolids digester project cap to $97.63 million; SEQRA negative declaration adopted

Saratoga County supervisors on Sept. 10 approved environmental and funding steps for a long-running biosolids digester facility for Saratoga County Sewer District No. 1, including a finding that the project will not have significant adverse environmental effects and an increase in the project's maximum estimated cost to $97,630,000. The county adopted a negative declaration under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR) for the proposed biosolids management facility, completing parts 2 and 3 of the coordinated review and concluding the project will not have significant adverse environmental effects. The committee also approved an amended project budget and scope that reflects a 90% design estimate, a 15% contingency and a 5% escalation to the midpoint of construction, raising the maximum project cost to $97,630,000. Officials said transportation and disposal costs for biosolids are expected to more than double in coming years and that the upgraded digester is projected to provide a long-term financial benefit to the sewer district. The presentation included a projection that the facility could provide between $50 million and $75 million in savings over a 30-plus-year life span, though the committee did not adopt a separate long-term savings guarantee. The committee approved a change order of $21,712 for Jerzin Construction Group LLC related to relocation of a new chemical line and authorized a separate contract with Jerzin for a $35,150 force-main analysis. Supervisors also approved a bond resolution to authorize issuance of up to an additional $29,080,000 in serial bonds to help finance the facility; a public hearing on the bond resolution was scheduled for 4:40 p.m. the same day. Separately, the committee approved a professional-services agreement with CHA Consulting Inc. for a collection-system infiltration and inflow study at a cost of $154,335. That contract passed with one supervisor recusal recorded. Discussion vs. decision: the SEQR negative declaration and the project cost increase are formal actions that passed. The bond resolution was authorized for public hearing rather than final sale. The CHA study is a contracted study that staff will have CHA perform. No roll-call vote tallies were recorded in the meeting transcript; the actions were adopted by voice vote with "Aye" recorded and one recusal on the CHA contract. The county indicated the project has grown in scope over five years because of regulatory and construction changes; supervisors asked no follow-up questions recorded in the meeting minutes. Next procedural steps laid out in the meeting include the scheduled public hearing on the bond resolution and the initiated study by CHA Consulting.