Council approves $5,000 preliminary engineering contract for Lakeland water project

The council voted to authorize a contract with Aldrich & Elliott (A & E) for preliminary engineering services not to exceed $5,000 for the proposed Lakeland Association water project. City staff said the engineering firm has performed prior city work, including on the wastewater treatment facility, and the contract starts the formal permitting and easement determination process. City staff warned that the full project is large and that obtaining permits and easements will take months. “To get the permits, once we get to the point where we know what the permits are and we start applying for them, that in and of itself is gonna take months,” staff said. The council approved the contract with a motion and second; the motion carried. Why it matters: The contract funds preliminary engineering steps necessary before permit applications and easement acquisitions; staff said the work will clarify who must grant easements and what permits will be required.