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Ely council approves 50% pre-payment of $130,125.90 for wastewater centrifuge rebuild
Summary
The council authorized a 50% down payment of $130,125.90 to rebuild the Wastewater Treatment Plant centrifuge after staff said the existing unit needed immediate overhaul; staff said a full replacement would cost more than $570,000 and the rebuild will take about 28 weeks.
The Ely City Council voted to pre-pay 50% of the cost to rebuild the Wastewater Treatment Plant centrifuge, authorizing a $130,125.90 down payment so the vendor can begin work.
Public Works Director Mike Cracraft told the council the centrifuge requires a full rebuild — bearings and internal parts are degraded after more than a decade without scheduled overhaul — and that the vendor advised a rebuild would effectively restore the unit to near-new condition. Cracraft said a new replacement unit would be roughly double the cost (he cited a vendor figure of more than $570,000) and would add foundation and construction expenses. Staff estimated a rebuild lead time of about 28 weeks. City Treasurer Janette Trask said the rebuild would be paid from General Fund capital set-aside and characterized the work as a repair rather than a capital replacement.
Councilman Dennis Perea moved to approve pre-paying the required 50% down payment to place the order per NRS 338.011(1); Councilwoman Jerri Lynn Williams-Harper seconded and the motion carried unanimously. The council record shows no recorded abstentions; Mayor Robertson does not vote on council motions as disclosed in the meeting.
Next steps: staff will place the order with the vendor and anticipate a roughly 28-week turnaround; the rebuild will be included in the FY27 Wastewater Treatment Plant budget.
