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Resident Richard Lynch urges Lowell council to keep municipal wastewater plant, cites grant accounting
Summary
At a Lowell City Council meeting, resident Richard Lynch urged the council to retain the city's wastewater treatment plant, saying grant accounting understates sewer revenues and warning that turning the plant over to the private operator '2 Rivers' would expose the city to higher charges. Council also considered a $45,072 wastewater planning grant.
Richard Lynch, a Lowell resident at 613 White Oak Drive, told the council during the public‑comment period that he reviewed city reports and concluded the municipal wastewater treatment plant is financially viable and should not be given to the private operator known in testimony as "2 Rivers." "I'm here for one purpose only right now: to convince you that under no circumstances should we give up this waste treatment plant," Lynch said.
Lynch disputed figures in a staff report that showed a $95,000 loss for the wastewater plant, arguing the report misplaced a listed ``Waste Water Precon Planning Grant'' into water department revenue. He described prior years in which the plant produced surpluses and said that, after accounting adjustments and a large expense he identified, the plant would show a multi‑hundred‑thousand‑dollar profit. Lynch also told the council he had discussed loan and upgrade options with staff, saying, "If we could get that money, we could bring that plant into compliance... modernize it, upgrade it, and keep it for another 20 to 25 years." (Attribution: Richard Lynch.)
Staff presented a separate budget amendment seeking to record a $45,072 preconstruction wastewater planning grant (SRPWARTO‑301). A city staff representative noted that Withers Avenue billing timing meant some paperwork arrived late but that the grant proceeds were expected and that the amendment needed council approval. (Attribution: Speaker 12, staff.)
Lynch warned that turning the plant over to the private operator would allow that operator to charge the city for sewage during storm events and could shift long‑term costs to municipalities that joined the operator. He urged residents to attend a forthcoming meeting on wastewater so citizens could weigh in.
The transcript records motions to approve a budget amendment and to discuss wastewater matters, but the meeting record supplied here does not include roll‑call votes or final outcomes for those motions. The council did not provide a final vote on any transfer of the wastewater plant in the supplied transcript.
The council will take no recorded final action on transfer of the wastewater plant in the portion of the transcript provided; the budget amendment and related items were presented and discussed.
