Aldermen approve limited cuts to free money for Grand Glaze sewer inspection and opt to design one water well

Board members raised concerns about parts of the city's sewer network and the need for better asset inventory and mapping. Aldermen flagged Grand Glaze as an area where one pipe appears to be deteriorating faster than the other and asked staff whether both pipes had been replaced in the mid-2000s.

Public-works staff (Drew and others) said visual inspection suggests one pipe shows more wear; the city needs a better GIS inventory and CCTV inspections to determine ownership, size, material and condition. Lake and staff outlined a phased approach: first map and assess assets, then CCTV and engineering to prioritize repairs. The board directed staff to find cuts elsewhere in capital to free approximately $175–187,000 to fund a professional inspection of the Grand Glaze pipes.

Water planning: to avoid a projected $3.8 million construction spike, Lake proposed designing only one of two planned new wells in 2025; that design-only approach would spread costs into 2026–2027 and give the city more time to assess growth and leak reductions. Aldermen supported designing a single well initially and revisiting construction timing once design and further data are available.

Sewer lift-station schedule: Lake also reminded the board that five lift-station rehabilitation projects are scheduled for engineering in 2025 with nearly $1.7 million in anticipated construction costs, and that a lower CIT subsidy this year means carryover and match planning will be needed.

Next steps: staff will proceed with mapping (GIS baseline), pursue a targeted Grand Glaze inspection once funding is confirmed and prepare the single-well design scope and cost estimate for board review.