ConAgra has begun on-site work on Boyd Street, but the city said the Economic Development Administration (EDA) has not yet issued final approval on a pending grant that would fund sewer upgrades to handle increased flows in the area.

The issue matters because the city said its sewer system under Boyd Street is currently insufficient for projected demand; EDA funding would cover upgrades needed to accommodate new industrial or commercial connections tied to ConAgra's project.

The City Administrator told the council that ConAgra "has begun their work" and that the city received a ranking from the Economic Development Administration indicating the application "merits further consideration," which is commonly a positive sign. However, staff said the regional EDA office has shown little movement on applications lately and that additional forms may be circulating. "Our grant for that work ... dollars 3,900,000.0, dollars 4,000,000 was pending and was on the desk. But we've just not gotten final word," the administrator said.

Staff and the city's engineering firm said ConAgra and the city's engineering team have coordinated the sewer tie-ins, which could expedite the city portion of work once funding is final. The City Administrator said the engineering firm that will handle the city's portion also handled the portion of ConAgra's project where sewers will connect.

Council members asked questions about standing water after recent rain; staff acknowledged there was "a lot of water in there yesterday after the rain" and said ConAgra has been ensuring its system can handle flows while upgrades to the city system are pending.

Ending: The city will continue to track the EDA process and coordinate with ConAgra and the engineering firm; staff did not say a final funding decision had been made and did not set a new timeline for the EDA decision.