Sherwood City sewer committee reviews operations; engineering pursues $7.5 million loan for interceptor rehab

The Sherwood City Sewer Committee on Jan. 7, 2025 reviewed recent operations reports, discussed equipment purchases and staffing shortfalls, and reported that engineering has submitted a pre-application for a $7.5 million loan to fund interceptor rehabilitation.

Committee members accepted the minutes from Oct. 1, 2024 by motion and discussed multiple operational items including line‑cleaning goals tied to Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality reporting, ongoing sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) work and needed equipment replacements.

The committee’s operations lead, Scott Greenwood, said routine monitoring documents that the south and satellite sewer systems require more maintenance than the newer north-side collection system. “If you look at the numbers, the numbers look kinda low, but like I said, because of staffing,” Greenwood said, attributing recent lower line‑cleaning totals to turnover and staffing shortages. He said the city must meet ADEQ line‑cleaning targets: about 21,000 feet for the south system and roughly 15,000 feet for the satellite system each year, and that the city’s annual report is due July 1.

Greenwood described equipment problems and planned replacements. He said the committee will put a new closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera out to bid because the current camera is aging, often requires shipping out of state for repairs and the vendor-provided loaner systems have been unreliable: “We’re gonna have to put it out to bid for a new camera,” Greenwood said, adding the city is evaluating cameras from ICM because that vendor provides on-site support. He also said the department plans to buy a utility side‑by‑side vehicle to reach mains in swampy or wooded areas that have gone uninspected for years.

On funding, Greenwood said engineering submitted a pre‑application on Dec. 1 for a loan to rehabilitate interceptor sewers and that staff hope to have a full application in before the commission meeting on Jan. 15. He described the project as intended to reduce SSOs and to help close out a longstanding compliance agreement: “I’m hoping they’ll close out that CAO, you know. Because … after we get that completed, the SSO should be … reduced significantly,” Greenwood said. He gave the loan amount as $7.5 million.

The committee received a brief operations update on 5 Mile Place treatment‑plant charges. Greenwood said he had discussed costs with Mike Clayton and the plant’s finance person and does not expect charges to change significantly this year, though treatment costs have increased slightly. Greenwood said any small increase would not materially affect the city budget.

Other business included an update on a project referenced in the meeting as the “bridal chamber,” which Greenwood said remains on a timeline for completion by the end of February and will be put out to bid. The committee also discussed a resident complaint involving yard drainage and a sinking driveway manhole. Greenwood said the committee could repair the driveway only after the underlying drainage problem is fixed and noted driveway surface material (so‑called “wash rock”) would not match standard city repairs.

Resident concerns about rising utility bills surfaced during the meeting. A resident attendee said monthly water and sewer bills had increased and that neighbors were discussing higher bills on social media. Greenwood acknowledged general price increases but did not identify a direct policy action at the meeting.

Votes at a glance - Motion to accept minutes from Oct. 1, 2024 — approved (mover and seconder not specified in the record; voice vote; no roll‑call tally provided). - Motion to adjourn — approved (mover and seconder not specified).

Next steps and follow-up: engineering will continue work on the loan application for interceptor rehab and attempt to submit before the Jan. 15 commission meeting; staff will prepare a bid package for a replacement CCTV camera and for the project described as the “bridal chamber”; staff will investigate the resident drainage complaint and defer a driveway repair until drainage is corrected.