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Oglethorpe reviews wastewater-plant consent order, contractor liability and repair timeline
Summary
City engineers told the council that equipment replacements and dredging tied to a Georgia EPD consent order are planned through late 2026, and council members pressed contractors and the city attorney about indemnity, performance bonds and steps to avoid fines.
The council reviewed a schedule and scope for wastewater-plant repairs intended to satisfy a Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) consent order and sought contractual assurances to limit the city’s exposure to fines.
Tim Ingram, the city’s engineer, told council members the consent order includes milestones that put key mechanical and bar-screen replacement work on a schedule through the end of 2025, with a consent-order expiration in late 2026. He said the consent-order milestones included a completion target of Oct. 6, 2026 and an overall order expiration on Nov. 30, 2026; he advised that some mechanical items (bar screen, control-panel enclosure and aerator work) should be completed by January or February and that dredging and vegetation removal were expected by July–August 2025.
“In the dredging you will stir up water and old sludge,” Ingram said, explaining the sequencing: a dike/dam and temporary aeration would allow work while preserving downstream polishing capacity. Ingram said equipment could be on site by about June 1, 2025 if the contract is signed and purchase orders issued quickly.
Mayor Daniels and Councilmember Harrison pressed for clarity on liability if the city is fined during construction. Ingram and the council’s lawyer, Jon Coogle, said indemnity language should be reviewed by both the contractor’s counsel and the city attorney. Coogle noted that a performance bond would allow the city to pursue remedies against a contractor that fails to perform and that if corrective work was substantially complete by the consent-order deadline EPD would likely encourage finishing rather than imposing large fines.
Councilmember Beckum urged the council to start work promptly to avoid slipping past consent-order milestones; members discussed liquidated-damages clauses and the need for signed contracts so the contractor could order long-lead items such as copper dams and aeration equipment.
No formal vote on the wastewater contract was recorded in the transcript; council indicated intent to sign the contract and authorized staff to move forward with final contract execution so work and equipment ordering can proceed.
