Glendale holds public hearing on $900,000 CIB grant application to replace failing Hop's well

Glendale Town Corporation officials and residents discussed a Community Impact Board grant application at a June 3 public hearing seeking $900,000 to replace the town's struggling Hop's well and add a well house and chlorination equipment.

The town submitted the application as a special-consideration project and asked the CIB to fund 90% as a grant and 10% as a loan repaid at 1% interest over 30 years. Town staff said the CIB board will decide the final grant/loan split and Glendale would decide whether to accept the board's offer. Town staff also warned customers that if the CIB offers a smaller grant share than requested, the town might need to raise water rates to cover its portion.

The project description presented at the hearing said the work would include drilling a new well located close to the existing Hop's well, constructing a small protective wellhouse, installing pumps, controls and chlorination equipment, conducting a geophysical log and video inspection, and performing a pump test to confirm capacity. Staff said the existing well shows intermittent low production and that last year's earthquake worsened the problem, increasing urgency for replacement.

Cody, identified as a Five County planner, said there was a reasonable chance the project could receive CIB consideration as a special project. Tyler Nelson, identified as an engineer with Jones, said the new well is expected to provide production comparable to historical output of the current Hop's well and that installing chlorination equipment would allow the town to respond quickly if water-quality tests later required disinfection. Nelson also said he did not believe the CIB could impose a standing chlorination mandate now; chlorination would be required only if tests failed state water-quality requirements.

Town staff described the application timeline: the CIB had not set its meeting schedule at the time of the hearing but town staff expected a CIB meeting in July or August. Staff said a representative should attend that meeting to present the project and answer questions. If funding is approved, construction could begin later this year, subject to final design, bid periods, contractor availability and lead times for controls and equipment. Staff noted controls procurement and specialized equipment have lead times that could range from six months to a year and that contractor availability could affect the schedule.

Residents at the hearing asked technical and operational questions. Bruce Harris and other residents asked about current production (staff said production varies by day and can be well below historical levels, with a rough figure mentioned around 30% on some days), water hardness, whether the project includes upgrading the distribution line (staff said the CIB request covers only the well and related facilities, not pipeline upgrades), and what would happen if the existing well failed before funding was awarded (staff said the town could switch to other sources, such as Spencer Spring, but that would require coordination and chlorination considerations).

Staff said the application was submitted on the deadline and reiterated the town's request for a 90/10 grant/loan split; they stressed the need to be prepared for the CIB review with full project data and a representative. Design tasks listed as required before construction include producing a design set, obtaining permits, preparing bidding documents and performing construction management to ensure code compliance.

No formal decision on the CIB application was made at the hearing. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn that was seconded and approved by voice vote.

The hearing transcript shows the town scoped the project to address an operationally vulnerable well, requested CIB grant support, and framed next steps as CIB review, potential board presentation in summer and design/bid work before construction. The town did not state a final contractor, specific award date from the CIB, or an exact timetable for any rate changes; staff repeatedly described those items as contingent on the CIB decision and subsequent procurement processes.

Sources: Glendale Town Corporation public hearing, June 3, 2025 (transcript).