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Cresco council approves engagement and orders work to rehab aging wastewater equipment; public hearing set for Aug. 5
Summary
Council authorized an engagement agreement to help finance and manage a major rehabilitation of the Cresco wastewater treatment plant’s aging equipment and set a public hearing for Aug. 5. Staff said the clarifiers date to 1985 and the phased project could take 12–18 months once started.
The Cresco City Council on July 1 approved a resolution to engage financial and bond‑issuance advisors and moved to order construction work to replace aged equipment at the city’s wastewater treatment plant, with a public hearing scheduled for Aug. 5 at 05:30.
Sewer department staff Mike told the council the plant’s clarifiers have been in operation since 1985 and “to my knowledge have not significantly been retouched except in 2018 when we sandblast and the paint.” He said the planned work is “a significant rehabilitation” that will remove assemblies for remachining and replace worn components, and that the city will take one clarifier offline at a time during the work. Mike estimated the rehabilitation would take “a year and a half for sure,” depending on parts and contractor availability.
The council separately approved a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter an engagement agreement with Ehlers and Cooley Cooney, PC to assist with bonding, contract review and state revolving fund (SRF) processes for the project. Staff described the firm’s role as reviewing specifications, bid documents and the financing approach tied to SRF requirements.
Council members pressed staff on sequencing and contingency planning: the work includes sandblasting, repainting, upgrading two lift‑station control panels, nonpotable water system improvements, and structural work on the digester building (staff said a canopy structure is under consideration rather than a fully enclosed building because of humidity and ventilation requirements). Mike said some pump and nonpotable system work could be completed over winter months when access is available.
The council voted to order the construction and set the formal hearing to receive public input and take bids on the project. No final contract award was made at the July 1 meeting; the next procedural step is the Aug. 5 public hearing and subsequent bid taking and award process.
The decision follows the city’s stated goal of satisfying nutrient‑reduction strategies while addressing long‑deferred maintenance on treatment equipment. The council’s resolutions authorize further procurement and financing steps but do not yet set a construction start date; staff said the timetable will depend on bid timing and contractor schedules.
