Tom Pingle, utilities director, told the council the wastewater treatment plant reconstruction project is advancing through design with a committee overseeing specifications and public review.

"We're at 30% design with our engineer Hazen. We expect to get the guaranteed max price for this project late this year," Tom Pingle said, and added that construction is expected to start in early 2026 with a four- to five-year construction schedule. The project is being handled through a project committee that has advised on specifications and will attend an upcoming council meeting on Feb. 3 when the guaranteed maximum price contract is brought forward for review.

Why this matters: Council members and staff noted the project is a high priority because the plant has been operating near or above capacity and that equipment failure risk grows as the plant ages. Utilities staff said resilience funding and phased design work are intended to reduce the risk of emergency repairs during construction.

Next steps: The utilities committee and staff will bring the design and contract documents to the council's Feb. 3 meeting for review before a construction contract is finalized. Staff also said continued grant-seeking will continue to reduce city cost exposure.

Ending: Tom Pingle asked for continued committee involvement and said staff will return with the contract and schedule updates for council consideration.