Freeport council approves amendment to accelerate second‑phase design for Bulldog Road wastewater plant

City engineers briefed the council on the Bulldog Road wastewater treatment plant and obtained council approval to begin second‑phase design work in parallel with the current phase.

The project team reported the design is approximately 90% complete and expects to have plans ready to advertise for bids by February, with construction anticipated to take about two years once started. “We’re right now around 90% of the design,” the project engineer told council, and staff said one remaining state facility permit remains outstanding. The team noted ancillary design work will be needed to reroute collection systems to bring flow to the new plant.

Staff also reported the project was placed on the state revolving fund (SRF) wait list, a second‑tier classification that could move to active funding if additional state or federal money becomes available; engineers cautioned that SRF’s segment cap and annual funding cycles mean municipalities commonly need interim financing while awaiting SRF disbursements.

To reduce downtime between phases, staff proposed and council approved an amendment to the design contract to let second‑phase design proceed in parallel with first‑phase construction. Council members and staff discussed financing strategies — lines of credit, interim borrowing and rate adjustments — to bridge the gap until SRF funds are available.

No final financing commitment was made at the meeting; staff were directed to continue planning and to return with detailed financing options and next steps for construction procurement.