Commissioners approve Hickory Hills sewer contract and MOU, outline $300,000 general‑fund support and fee repayment plan

The Williams County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a contract and a memorandum of understanding for sewer work in the Hickory Hills subdivision, and commissioners discussed a $300,000 contribution from the county general fund that would be repaid over five years through a user fee.

The action covered two items on the agenda: Resolution 1 64, entering into a contract with “Daniel Escalating” for project 220205 (Hickory Hills wastewater treatment plant), and Resolution 1 66, a memorandum of understanding with the Williams County Sanitary Engineer to coordinate the Hickory Hills sanitary‑sewer replacement work. Both resolutions were moved, seconded and approved by roll call.

Why it matters: the project will replace sewer infrastructure in the Hickory Hills subdivision and uses a mix of funding sources discussed by staff and commissioners, including the county sewer fund, state infrastructure funds (referred to as Issue 2 funds in the meeting), and a $300,000 loan or advance from the county general fund. Commissioners said the county would borrow or advance the $300,000 and expect repayment over five years through a $50 fee assessed to the relevant ratepayer or account.

County staff described the funding package during discussion. The Williams County Sanitary Engineer (identified in discussion as Todd) told the board the project will use sewer‑fund dollars, Issue 2 funds, and $300,000 from the general fund; the $300,000 advance would be repaid over five years by collecting a $50 fee. Commissioners pressed on fee policy and timing: officials noted that a $5 fee increase implemented three years earlier produced additional revenue and that a $5 increase today would yield roughly $90,000 annually, which would have reduced the county’s immediate general‑fund outlay if it had been in place earlier.

Several commissioners said they did not want to rely repeatedly on general‑fund dollars for sewer projects and asked staff to consider fee adjustments and long‑term revenue approaches before committing more general‑fund support. Meeting discussion recorded that the sanitary‑engineer’s office was “not excited about raising it” but recognized that not raising fees increases the near‑term demand on the general fund.

Formal actions taken: the board approved Resolution 1 64 (contract for project 220205, Hickory Hills wastewater treatment plant) and Resolution 1 66 (MOU with the Williams County Sanitary Engineer to implement sewer replacement in the Hickory Hills subdivision). Both items passed on roll call votes.

Background and next steps: the MOU explicitly allocated a mix of sewer‑fund dollars, Issue 2 state funds, and the $300,000 county advance. Commissioners directed staff to bring back details on any proposed fee changes and the expected schedule for repayment; staff comments in the meeting show an intent to return with fee options rather than immediately imposing a fee increase. No specific effective dates or ordinance numbers for a fee change were approved at the meeting.

Ending note: the board’s approvals set the contract and interagency terms in motion while leaving the specific user‑fee decision pending further staff work and future commission action.