Thorp council approves pay application, $905K and $6.5M borrowings to finish wastewater upgrades

Thorp’s City Council on Jan. 13 approved funding steps intended to advance the city’s wastewater treatment and sewer utility work, including a pay application and two authorizations to incur indebtedness.

Jerimiah Wendt of Short Elliott Hendrickson told the council the Wastewater Treatment Plant is 97.4% complete, noting north-site punch-list work and site restoration and south-site demolition and punch-list progress. The update accompanied several finance actions the council approved.

By unanimous 4–0 votes, the council approved Resolution 2025-01-01 to authorize Pay Application #21 to Staab Construction Corporation for $90,379.20 for the 2023 Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades Project (motion by Alderperson Rosemeyer; second by Alderperson Korn). The council also approved two separate resolutions to incur indebtedness to provide portions of the cost to acquire, construct, enlarge, improve and extend its sewer utility facility: Resolution 2025-01-02 authorizing $905,000 (motion by Alderperson Korn; second by Alderperson Abramczak) and Resolution 2025-01-03 authorizing $6,500,000 (motion by Alderperson Korn; second by Alderperson Lawcewicz). Both resolutions passed 4–0.

The minutes record the purpose of the indebtedness as providing part of the cost of sewer utility improvements within the city’s lawful service area. The resolutions and the pay application were considered routine business on the council’s agenda and passed without recorded debate. The SEH update and the pay application indicate construction activity is nearing completion, with remaining work described as punch-list items and site restoration.

Next procedural steps noted in the minutes include typical administrative processing of pay applications and financial closings associated with any approved borrowings; the minutes do not specify sale or closing dates for the indebtedness.