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Council presses city administrator over delayed sewer work and unfinished electronics enclosure
Summary
Council members pressed city staff about a six-month delay on a previously approved enclosure for electronic equipment and ongoing sewer work; city administrator said staffing and an active sewer project have limited his bandwidth, and he pledged to prioritize follow-up.
Council members on May 20 pressed city administrators to complete a previously approved enclosure to protect electronic equipment and to accelerate sewer construction work that staff said has consumed city resources.
Council members reminded staff that on Nov. 21, 2024 the council approved adding an enclosed structure intended to keep electronics and gas cylinders cool. At the May meeting one council member said the enclosure should have been completed before the heat of summer and asked why the city was still holding back on implementation. "We spent a lot of money out there on all that electronic equipment, and it needs to be kept cool," the council member said. "I don't understand why we're holding back on this, when we're gonna need that, and I don't want that to cause any problems out there over the summer with the heat."
City Administrator Kent Wiggins acknowledged the delay and cited the sewer project as the primary cause: "I really just haven't had the bandwidth to pick up with the contractor on that. This sewer project has really just been eating my lunch and staff's lunch," he said. Wiggins said he will "pivot" to the enclosure task, reach back out to the contractor (referred to later as "Mike"), and try to get the work moving. He also noted contractor scheduling and potential price adjustments as risks.
Wiggins and other staff described active sewer work in the Brucefull area that may require temporary construction easements and coordination with BlackRock Construction. Council members expressed concern that ongoing delays could threaten well equipment and service reliability in hot weather. One council member noted heavy workloads for staff, saying field staff have worked early mornings, evenings and weekends to keep up with multiple projects.
No formal motion was made to change contract status at the meeting. Wiggins said he would reach out to the contractor and "get this ball rolling" and that staff will follow up with council on schedule and potential cost changes.
