Crown Point committee approves SRF disbursements, hears timeline for water and sewer projects

The Crown Point City Public Works and Safety Committee on Wednesday approved two State Revolving Fund (SRF) disbursement requests and heard schedule and status updates on several water and wastewater projects, city staff said.

Committee members voted to authorize the mayor to sign SRF disbursement request number 11 for $69,370 related to the lead service line replacement project and to approve payment application/disbursement number 3 for the downtown interceptor project in the amount of $280,101.89 with a corresponding retainage payment of $14,742.21.

Those approvals allow the city to request funds from the SRF loan so contractors can be paid, a city utilities staff member said. The lead service-line work is progressing faster than anticipated and the additional areas are being added to the project, the staff member said.

City utilities updates Al, a city utilities staff member, gave the committee a series of updates and near-term schedules. Key points included: - Phase 4 water project: change-order work remains with the contractor EFI coordinating directly with the city; the project will be closed out on completion. - New water supply line and treatment-plant projects: design is nearly complete and the two projects are expected to go out to bid the week of Nov. 10. The city expects to receive bids in late December or early January and then pursue closing with the State Revolving Fund loan program. - Lead service line replacement: the program is progressing well enough that additional areas were added; the committee approved SRF disbursement number 11 for $69,370 to cover invoiced work. - Wastewater treatment plant improvements: mixers were repaired, but staff said a storm event is needed to validate operation; the city will monitor performance within the warranty period and require repairs under warranty if issues appear. - Downtown interceptor: subsurface utility exploration is near completion and IDEM review of related items is complete; the committee approved payment application/disbursement number 3 for $280,101.89 and a retainage transfer of $14,742.21. At least one board member also referenced disbursement number 12 in the minutes clarification, though an amount for number 12 was not specified on the record. - Collection system design (two lift stations and interceptor): design is proceeding and was projected to be completed in March–April 2026, with bids anticipated in June–July 2026. - Southeast Treatment Plant design: design is complete and under review by IDEM; staff said they are fielding reviewer questions and hope to have the permit soon to go out to bid.

The committee moved and approved the two SRF-related disbursement requests with no recorded opposition during the meeting.

Why this matters The SRF disbursements and the project schedules determine when contractors can be paid and when construction can proceed. The downtown interceptor and collection-system projects are multi-phase efforts tied to permitting and SRF financing timelines; delays in permitting or funding would affect when construction can begin.

What the city will do next City staff said they will proceed to bid the supply-line and treatment-plant projects as scheduled, continue to monitor the wastewater improvements during upcoming storm events, and provide an update at the next Public Works meeting on the lead service-line work and SRF draw status.

Provenance: The committee discussion and motions above are documented in the meeting transcript (see evidence spans below).