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Council debate spotlights unfunded sewer screening device, council urged to seek CIB support
Summary
Councilmember Rod told the council that a proposed automatic rotary screening device needed for the town’s lagoon system was not covered by recent impact‑fee changes and recommended placing the project on the Community Impact Board (CIB) wish list while the city explores low‑interest loans or partial funding options.
Councilmember Rod pressed the Fountain Green City Council on the need to fund a sewer screening device after a recent public hearing left questions unanswered. Rod said the screening unit — described to council members as an automatic rotary screen that settles solids and augers screenings out — was separated from the impact‑fee increase approved last month and currently lacks a funding source.
Rod cited a device estimate of $987,750 and an associated per‑hookup charge of $1,470 that had not been implemented. “This thing is not finished,” Rod said, adding that the council should put the screening device on the CIB wish list to seek financing before lagoon longevity is compromised. He urged staff to prepare cost figures and worst‑case financing scenarios and noted the CIB now “mostly does loans” rather than the large grant packages municipalities sometimes received in the past.
Rod offered a simple affordability example: spreading the per‑hookup cost over 10 years would amount to roughly $12.25 a month per existing hookup; a 20‑year service life would reduce the monthly burden further. Council members who visited other towns’ installations described significant maintenance needs — including corrosion and periodic landfill disposal of collected screenings — and recommended examining local maintenance implications when sizing an enclosure.
Staff and the council discussed funding options including the CIB, CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) limits and federal rules that can apply to larger federally assisted projects, and local loan financing. Shay, the council’s project portal liaison, said she would help the city enter the project in the Utah project portal and provide guidance on CIB timing and application materials.
No formal funding motion was made at the meeting; members directed staff to clarify the final scope and costs, to explore CIB and loan options, and to bring back a recommendation for how to charge or amortize the cost across users.
