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Perkins declares sewer emergency, staff outlines $4 million replacement gap and sales-tax option
Summary
After a concrete sewer collapse at 423 West Dubbo, Perkins commissioners declared an emergency, authorized $114,540 in retroactive repairs and approved related purchase orders. City staff estimated 20,000–25,000 feet of aging sewer could cost about $4 million to replace and proposed options including a dedicated 1¢ sales tax.
Mayor Carla Cummings and city staff moved quickly after the city discovered a collapsed concrete sewer line near 423 West Dubbo, declaring an emergency and approving immediate repairs while launching a broader discussion of how to fund systemwide replacement.
A staff member described efforts to stabilize the site, saying crews installed bypass pumping and attempted point repairs before determining the line would require pipe bursting because the concrete pipe kept collapsing during patch attempts. “It’s an emergency,” the staff member said. The commission voted to declare the emergency and retroactively authorized $114,540 to cover repair work.
The commission also approved two purchase orders to Jordan Contractors LLC to complete the repair work: purchase order 2602048 for $23,390 and purchase order 2602053 for $91,150. Staff said the city had submitted information to its insurance provider and that some prior preauthorization allows staff to spend up to $100,000 for qualifying emergencies, but the current work required additional validation from the commission.
Beyond the immediate repairs, staff presented a longer-term assessment of the sewer system’s condition. “I estimate we have 20 to 25,000 feet of concrete sewer line that has been in the ground for 80 to 100 years maybe,” the staff member said, and estimated replacement costs “somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 a foot,” which would put total costs near $4 million.
That figure prompted a discussion of possible funding mechanisms. Staff outlined four broad options: bonds, loans, grants and a dedicated sales tax. Grants, the staff member said, are unlikely to cover more than a small portion of the need—perhaps a CDBG-sized grant of about $250,000 for a block or so—leaving the city to consider debt or a local revenue measure.
As one option, staff proposed a dedicated 1¢ sales tax for water and sewer improvements that, based on preliminary analysis, could raise roughly $400,000 per year. “It would be written in a way to fund water and sewer improvements…to service debt,” the staff member said, noting that such a tax would raise Perkins’ total sales tax rate and that staff were compiling data on how the change would compare with neighboring communities.
Staff also outlined the calendar constraints for any ballot measure: available election dates this year include the June primary (deadline for calling an election in April), an August runoff (deadline in June) and the November general election (deadline in August). The staff member said August was an option they had in mind but emphasized the need for more analysis and outreach before finalizing any plan.
The meeting also included approval of a separate water-quality project under the lead and copper rule: the commission approved installing optimal corrosion-control treatment stations at three wells at a cost not to exceed $90,000 and authorized a budget amendment to fund the work. Staff said the treatment would adjust pH to about 7.5–8.0 and use phosphates to coat lines and limit leaching from service lines.
Next steps: staff will refine cost estimates and present financing scenarios to the commission, including the sales-tax option and bond sizing, with the goal of returning with specific numbers and a proposed timeline for voter consideration.
