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Council adopts wastewater loan application and authorizes WPCLF agreement with potential forgiveness
Summary
Athens City Council suspended rules and adopted an ordinance authorizing submission of a Water Pollution Control Loan Fund agreement for wastewater design and construction; council members cited an EPA/loan deadline and said the package may include up to $8 million in loan forgiveness.
The Athens City Council on May 12 suspended rules and adopted Ordinance 55‑25, authorizing the service safety director to submit an application and enter a Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) agreement for supplemental wastewater design and construction and to designate a repayment source.
Councilmember Reisner moved to suspend the rules, citing an application deadline of May 15, and the motion carried. Reisner then moved adoption of the ordinance and the council approved it by voice vote.
The mayor and council members described the financing as highly favorable. Staff said the WPCLF package “comes with a loan forgiveness which could amount to as much as $8,000,000 in loan forgiveness,” and councilmembers responded that the terms made the application urgent. Member Swank asked whether the loan rate was favorable; council members replied that the combination of low‑cost loan and significant forgiveness made it an attractive financing opportunity.
Why it matters: WPCLF loans are a common mechanism for municipal wastewater upgrades; loan forgiveness reduces the city’s long‑term borrowing burden and can affect capital planning. Council passed the ordinance under suspended rules to meet the application deadline.
What’s next: staff will submit the WPCLF application and proceed with required design and project steps consistent with the loan agreement and designated repayment source; no construction contracts were awarded at the May 12 meeting.
