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Council orders halt to outside sewer dumping and approves in‑house special project for park sprinklers
Summary
Council directed an immediate stop to outside dumping into sewer lagoon Cell 3, reviewed contractor estimates for pond rehab and liner work, and approved doing park sprinkler installation in‑house as a tracked special project to save costs while staff pursues grant and procurement clarifications.
The Mount Pleasant City Council directed staff to halt all outside dumping into sewer lagoon Cell 3 to allow cleanup and rehabilitation work to proceed and approved an in‑house special project to install the park sprinkler system, with strict time-and-equipment tracking per the city's special-project resolution.
Staff described Cell 3 damage and presented contractor estimates for cleaning, sediment removal and liner installation — figures discussed included roughly $233,000 to clear and scrub the pond, $227,000 for removing dumped waste and sediment, and about $440,000 for a geomembrane liner and associated work. Staff warned liners should not be left exposed for long and noted operational constraints (need to keep liners ballasted/flooded and screening requirements to 3/8 inch), which may affect the project timeline and costs.
To limit further contamination while the Headworks Building and screening work proceed, the council voted to stop outside dumping into Cell 3 until the headworks is completed. Council members also discussed the advantages and risks of performing certain work in-house versus contracting: proponents cited estimated savings (staff estimated a potential $250,000 saving on combined work if done in-house), while others raised concerns about staffing levels, warranty coverage and procurement compliance.
On the irrigation/sprinkler project for the park, staff presented three bids (lowest bid roughly $92,630) and explained that some equipment had already been purchased. After debate, the council approved doing the park sprinkler installation as an in-house special project provided staff track hours, equipment and parts and report back with final accounting; staff may hire part‑time help for the project and will monitor costs against the bid estimates.
Council also asked staff and engineers to invite the project's contractors and the grant project manager to review specifications, liner warranty conditions and schedule so the city can finalize the best procurement and implementation path.
Next steps: staff will enforce the no‑dumping order, coordinate Cell 3 inspections and liner specifications with engineers, complete tracked reporting on the in‑house sprinkler work, and return to council with a post‑project accounting and recommended procurement path for remaining work.
