Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council reviews WERF disinfectant and digester project; approves change orders 1–13
Summary
Director Kiel reported on the WERF disinfectant and digester (D&D) project — a roughly $94 million investment to update mid-20th-century infrastructure — and the council approved change orders 1–13, which so far amount to a net increase of $19,310 (0.02% of the construction contract).
The council received an update Nov. 10 on the Water Resource Recovery Facility (WERF) disinfectant and digester (D&D) project and approved change orders 1–13.
Director Kiel described the WERF as a regional treatment plant serving six communities under an MPCA permit and noted the plant’s effluent is about 75% cleaner than the permit requires. The D&D project is a roughly $94 million investment intended to replace vintage infrastructure and is estimated to be funded about half by state and federal sources and half by participating ratepayers, with financing through the Public Facilities Authority (PFA). City staff said construction began in May 2004 and Rice Lake Construction Group was awarded the main contract at roughly $84 million; staff reported the project is on schedule for mid-2027 completion.
Kiel reported 13 change orders to date, mostly small, with a net change of $19,310 (0.02% of the construction amount). Council members asked about schedule risk and groundwater/water-table issues; staff said contractor schedules are submitted monthly and the contractor remains on track for the mid-2027 completion but noted the digging/digester phase remains a higher-risk period for encountering unforeseen conditions. Council member McLaughlin moved to approve change orders 1–13; the council voted in favor.
