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Spencer town president warns jail site may require $1.4M–$2.4M sewer upgrade, easements pending
Summary
John Stance, Spencer town president, told county officials that the 8‑inch sewer line serving the proposed jail area could bottleneck and cited engineer estimates to upsize it to 12 inches using pipe bursting ($1.4M–$1.8M) or conventional trenching ($1.8M–$2.4M); council discussed easement needs and alternate routing.
John Stance, president of the Spencer Town Council, warned county leaders that an 8‑inch sewer line serving the area planned for a new jail would likely be insufficient and could create a bottleneck if the jail operates around the clock.
Stance said engineers provided two cost ranges to increase capacity from 8 to 12 inches: a pipe‑bursting method estimated at roughly $1.4 million to $1.8 million, and a traditional dig‑and‑replace approach estimated about $1.8 million to $2.4 million. He said the pipe‑bursting method would reduce open excavation and could be significantly cheaper than full trenching where depths reach 12 feet.
Council members asked whether the county or town would bear costs and whether future developers could be charged; Stance said the county would pay and that direct developer cost recovery is not generally available. Participants noted the need to obtain easements across private fields where the line would run; staff said easement negotiations and deed changes were still pending. If a landowner declines, the county could route sewer along public roads but at higher cost.
The town representative said the upgrade would provide capacity for the jail and other potential development in 15–20 years but acknowledged uncertainty about who benefits and who pays. Council members asked staff to continue coordinating with the town on easements and cost estimates prior to committing to the jail site.
