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Princeton board tentatively backs regional water/sewer memorandum of understanding, approves preliminary participation
Summary
The Princeton Board of Commissioners voted to join a preliminary memorandum of understanding (MOU) exploring regionalization of water and sewer services with nearby towns and Johnson County. The board agreed to participate in early planning; possible budget set-asides of $5,000–$10,000 were discussed for initial legal and organizational work.
Princeton commissioners voted May 5 to express preliminary support for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) intended to explore a regional water and sewer system among nearby towns and Johnson County.
The proposed MOU is a framework drafted by the mayors’ association to begin formal discussions about regionalizing wastewater and water treatment capacity. Commissioners were told the effort would be long-term — likely 10 to 20 years before any plant construction — and would start with legal and organizational work to create a regional entity.
Town officials and mayors from neighboring towns have discussed the concept with state regulators and regional planning bodies. Board members heard that state and federal agencies (DEQ, EPA) increasingly favor regional systems and are more likely to award grants to multi-jurisdiction projects. The MOU as presented does not commit towns to specific financial contributions; it describes purpose, intent and potential areas of cooperation and states that any financial commitments would be negotiated separately and require formal agreements.
Commissioners discussed potential costs and timeline. The mayor’s association recommended towns consider reserving funds to support initial formation work; meeting remarks suggested an initial contingency between $5,000 and $10,000 to pay legal fees and to draft corporate documents if the towns decide to proceed. Board members emphasized that the MOU is preliminary, renewable annually, and that participation would not automatically transfer ownership of existing facilities.
The board approved a motion to move forward with preliminary participation in the MOU and to continue work on fine-tuning the document. The motion passed with a second; Commissioner Robinson seconded the motion as recorded in the meeting. No immediate financial commitment was voted on; staff were asked to continue engagement with the mayors’ group and to bring detailed budget recommendations back to the board.
What the board approved
- Action: approve preliminary participation and direct staff to continue work refining the regional water system MOU and to report back. Motion seconded and passed in open session.
Key clarifying details
- Intended timeline: long-range planning (10–20 years) to address future growth and combined treatment capacity. - Early financing: meeting participants discussed setting aside $5,000–$10,000 in the town budget to cover initial legal and organizational work; any larger financial commitments would require separate negotiations and formal approvals. - Regulatory context: board members said DEQ and federal grant programs prefer regional approaches to wastewater treatment and may prioritize funding for regional systems.
Next steps
Staff will continue MOU discussions with the mayors’ association and partner towns, obtain cost estimates for initial legal and organizational work, and return to the board with proposed budget language for possible set-aside funds.
