Astoria council approves loan amendment, grant increase and CMGC procurement for lift-station rehab

The Astoria City Council on Feb. 18 approved a borrowing resolution to amend a Department of Environmental Quality Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan, accepted an additional $200,001 overflow sewer and stormwater (OSG) grant and authorized a construction manager/general contractor (CMGC) procurement for a project to rehabilitate three sewage lift stations.

Assistant City Engineer Cindy Moore told the council the work will replace six Archimedes screw pumps, resurface concrete channels and modernize motors and controls but will not change station capacity. “This is really a maintenance project,” Moore said, adding that the project uses modern materials to extend service life. Public Works Director Jeff Harrington said the lift stations handle seasonal peak flows up to 18–20 million gallons per day and that crews have maintained the equipment for decades.

Moore said the project definition report reduced the prior $3.6 million estimate and that the DEQ offer would come as a CWSRF loan amendment of about $3,084,108, with half of the loan potentially forgivable under program rules. The council previously approved smaller grants and a partial CWSRF loan for design work; staff described the updated funding package as a mix of grants and low-interest loan funds. Moore estimated the full loan, if drawn as presented, would translate to roughly a $1.50-per-month increase for a residential sewer customer if no additional grants were obtained.

Councilors pressed staff on whether the work requires shutting stations down and on traffic impacts from crane operations on state highways. Moore said the contract will be required to maintain continuous service and that options include working one side at a time, pumping around during low flows or using surface hoses where feasible; she said ODOT restrictions during summer peak tourism require careful scheduling. Harrington said difficult maintenance tasks—like rebuilding bearings in a corrosive environment—underscore why staff recommends the CMGC approach to get contractor input during final design.

The council took three separate votes tied to the project. Councilor Mozzarella moved adoption of the borrowing resolution to authorize the DEQ CWSRF loan agreement amendment for $3,084,108; the measure passed on roll call with Mozzarella, Adams, Lum and Mayor Fitzpatrick recorded as voting “Aye” and one councilor absent. The council then authorized the OSG grant increase to $200,001 by voice vote and adopted a resolution declaring an exemption from ordinary competitive-bid rules to allow CMGC procurement for the rehabilitation project, also on roll call.

Moore said construction is planned for summer 2026 and that the custom Archimedes screws can take about nine months to manufacture once ordered; staff are aiming for about a 50-year expected service life with modern materials and coatings. Loan agreement and budget amendments were described as forthcoming and likely to return to council for final execution and budget adjustments in the coming weeks.

Next steps: staff will return with the formal loan agreement amendment and any necessary budget ordinance changes; construction procurement under the CMGC model will proceed after council authorization and completion of design and contracting steps.