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DPW tells council state CHIPS funding varies; wastewater plant staffing and contract options raised
Summary
Council pressed DPW on CHIPS variability, road program reductions and wastewater plant operations; DPW said state allocations change yearly and the wastewater plant faces recruitment and deferred-maintenance challenges.
Councilmembers questioned the Department of Public Works (DPW) on road repair funding and water and wastewater operations during the 2026 budget review.
DPW representatives said state CHIPS allocations fluctuate annually and the city cannot guarantee a fixed amount from year to year. On the prior-year $4,040,000 reduction to a road construction line, DPW said that cut required scaling back some repairs; where possible, crews combined paving work with water and sewer projects and used contractors to maintain throughput.
Responding to a question about unit costs for pipe replacement, a DPW representative said, “it's $300 a foot for water or $300 a foot for sewer. So if our target is a mile of infrastructure a year, it's about…
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