Swisher council hears sewer, paving updates and approves small change order for sanitary sewer work

Council members received a series of infrastructure updates July 8 on ongoing sewer, sanitary, storm and water projects and on upcoming paving in parts of town. Staff reported utility installation on Howard and Third streets and said paving and final striping/signage work are scheduled once contractors are on site.

During the engineering update, a council member or resident raised concern about a newly installed manhole near Swisher Creek that sits only a few feet from the creek bank; staff said new manholes are sealed and that they will check rim elevation and, if needed, install a riser to prevent stormwater intrusion into the sanitary system.

Council approved payout No. 3 to B. Schmid for the project and later approved Change Order No. 2 to the sanitary sewer contract, increasing the contract by $7,613.32. Staff said crews discovered mixed pipe types and debris after dewatering a culvert under Second Street, and rather than patching the existing material they chose to replace the culvert to avoid future failures; some associated work will be shifted into a future bridge project.

Staff also confirmed phase timelines: substantial completion milestones were discussed with staff saying the major paving and utilities work for the current phases is on track for fall completion, with later project segments scheduled through summer 2025.

Council asked staff to continue coordination with Johnson County on backdating and fee allocations and to provide any schedule updates to the public before construction impacts occur.