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Council agrees to seek independent review of wastewater facility plan amid rising cost estimates
Summary
City staff recommended and the council agreed to request proposals for an independent review of the 2017 wastewater facility plan after project cost estimates rose to about $66 million for construction.
City staff told the Oskaloosa City Council on May 5 that the city’s wastewater resource recovery facility planning process, begun in 2017, now faces materially different market conditions and scope changes; the council agreed to seek proposals for an independent review.
The city has been working with Foxstrand (transcript name variant) Associates on designs to replace the Southeast wastewater treatment plant. Staff said the currently estimated construction cost is about $66 million. Because the plan is eight years old and markets and technologies have evolved, staff recommended hiring an independent firm to review the plan for potential cost-saving alternatives or refinements.
Council members expressed support for an RFP and a second look. “If we’re going to spend $66,000,000 I want to be sure,” one council member said. Staff clarified that an independent review would run outside ongoing design work and would not delay current project timelines but would provide an outside check to ensure the city is pursuing the most efficient option.
Why it matters: The wastewater project represents a large capital investment and long-term operating implications; an independent review could identify savings, alternative technologies or phasing options to reduce cost and risk.
Next steps: Staff will prepare a request for proposals and return to council with bids and a recommendation on which firm to hire for an independent review. No formal binding vote was required; council indicated consensus to proceed with seeking proposals.
