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Mayville council advances wastewater plant upgrade: site plan approved, 2025 sewer rate increase adopted, council to negotiate construction management
Summary
The council approved the wastewater facility site plan, a 2025 sewer rate increase averaging about $14 per residential user, authorized Clean Water Fund administration work with MSA, approved well rehabilitation contracts, and directed staff to negotiate construction-management fees with MSA rather than issue an immediate RFP.
The Mayville Common Council on Tuesday moved several items forward tied to the planned wastewater treatment plant upgrade and related water‑system work.
Councilors approved the site plan review for the new wastewater treatment facility at 400 Tukovsky (parcel 251-1216-1442-00) after the planning commission’s recommended conditions were incorporated. The council also approved a 2025 sewer rate increase recommended by the Wastewater Utility Commission that the city estimates will raise the average residential sewer bill by about $14 per month. The council set the increase to take effect with the billing cycle beginning Jan. 30.
Councilors debated how to procure construction management services for the project. The wastewater utility recommended contracting construction management with MSA Professional Services, which produced the project’s design. MSA included a budgeted construction‑management cost of $1.2 million in its work plan. Some council members raised concerns about using the design firm for construction management and whether an independent inspector should be contracted to avoid a perceived conflict of interest.
A motion to solicit new RFPs for construction management failed on a roll call. The council then voted to authorize the city administrator to negotiate fee terms with MSA to try to reduce the proposed costs; that motion carried. Council members said negotiating with MSA could be followed by a public RFP if negotiations did not produce an acceptable outcome.
The council separately approved a Clean Water Fund administrative contract with MSA to finish grant/loan administration and prevailing‑wage/Davis‑Bacon compliance work for the project. The council also approved the wastewater site plan and granted the planning commission’s recommended conditions.
Councilors addressed related water projects as part of the same meeting. The council accepted bids and approved contracting Town & Country for construction work on Wells 2, 3 and 5 to bring them up to Department of Natural Resources standards, including chemical separation systems, roof repairs and replacement of failing filters and scalers. The council voted to combine the three well rehabilitation projects because the commission said consolidating the work reduced construction costs and loan closing fees.
Finally, the council approved pay request No. 2 for the 2024 asphalt projects and a change to the wastewater project billing schedule so the 2025 rate increase would be reflected beginning with the Jan. 30 billing cycle to meet financing needs.
Ending: With site plan approvals, contracted well repairs and an agreed path for negotiating construction management fees, the council left the core plant construction on track for an April start while asking staff to continue negotiating to lower consultant costs and to return to council if negotiations produce a different procurement recommendation.
