Helmsburg utility seeks bids for new treatment plant as SRF funding and Brown County RSD disputes complicate regional plan

Helmsburg Regional Sewer District Vice President Kyle Meyers told the Brown County Board of Commissioners that his district will advertise for bids next week for a new wastewater treatment plant after the State Revolving Fund (SRF) approved funding for a smaller, 14,000-gallons-per-day design rather than an earlier 100,000-gpd plan.

Meyers said the change leaves Helmsburg’s existing plant vulnerable and forces phased, smaller projects. "SRF basically told us that they were only going to fund us for a 14,000 gallon [per day]" he said, adding the district currently averages about 6,000–7,000 gpd and expects the new plant to maintain current customers while allowing limited growth.

The update described long-running regional challenges: Bean Blossom’s multi-decade sewer plans have been paused, Brown County RSD’s schedule and support have been inconsistent, and local easements and 60%-complete engineering plans (for Bean Blossom) have delayed SRF-ready submissions. Meyers said Helmsburg incurred roughly $150,000 in additional engineering fees to redesign its plan to the smaller SRF-approved size and is unsure how those bills will be paid.

Why it matters: the change narrows immediate project scope and shifts long-term costs and rates. Meyers presented two customer-rate options tied to maintenance responsibility: retaining district maintenance would push user bills to about $117 per month; turning maintenance and grinder-station repairs over to individual property owners could keep rates near $92.50 per month but would remove service protections for customers.

Commissioners and the presenter discussed SRF grant norms (staff said SRF often targets about $6 million in grant funds per project), project phasing to extend service toward Bean Blossom and Lake Lemon, and how interlocal agreements and insurance considerations affect who can operate and bill for new collection systems. Meyers said Helmsburg is prepared to take on territory from Bean Blossom or Lake Lemon if funding and governance allow, but he urged county review of Brown County RSD’s pace and territorial decisions.

Members of the public and commissioners asked technical and timeline questions about bridgeings from the report and about how many customers the new plant could serve. Meyers said the district expects to open bids in early June and emphasized the county should examine the governance and funding dynamics that are delaying regional sewer expansion.

Next steps: Helmsburg plans to advertise for bids, SRF participation requirements and grant ceilings will shape project scope, and commissioners agreed to review the governance and funding issues raised by Helmsburg’s presentation.