Paradise council adopts hybrid sewer plan, directs staff to pursue funding reallocation

The Paradise Town Council adopted Resolution No. 202567 on Tuesday, approving a locally scaled sewer plan that uses a hybrid gravity/STEP collection system, aerated lagoon treatment and land-discharge percolation and evaporation ponds, and directed staff to begin the subsequent programmatic environmental impact report and to pursue a reallocation of Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG‑DR) funds to cover a remaining capital shortfall.

The move, passed by a 5-0 roll call during agenda item 2a, implements the recommendation of a five‑member ad hoc committee and follows months of public meetings and outreach. Mark Maddox, the town’s public works director and town engineer, presented the proposal and told the council, "this is the most affordable, basic, reliable alternative available to us." He said the plan was unanimously recommended by the ad hoc committee that included council members and representatives from the Paradise Irrigation District and consulting staff.

Why it matters: council and staff said the locally focused option narrows the project scope in order to deliver a constructible solution before one-time recovery funds expire. Maddox said the town has secured about $84,800,000 toward the project and is estimating total phase‑1 costs at $114,000,000, leaving a roughly $30,000,000 shortfall. Council direction authorizes staff to seek to shift $36,700,000 of CDBG‑DR infrastructure funding from other locally funded recovery projects to close that gap and to coordinate with state and federal funding partners on feasibility.

Key elements and timeline

- Collection: The recommended system is a hybrid of gravity trunk mains for higher‑elevation streets (Skyway, Clark and Pearson were cited) and STEP or STEG (septic tank effluent pump / septic tank effluent…