Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Sewer topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Helmsburg sewer district asks Brown County for $175,000 to avoid another rate hike
Summary
Adrian O'Shea and Connor Myers told the council bids for a new Helmsburg treatment plant came in about $1.7 million over budget and requested $175,000 to connect 10 households so the district can keep rates near $118 a month; council members asked for audits and financials before any county funds are committed.
Adrian O'Shea, president of the Helmsburg Regional Sewer District, told the Brown County Council that bids for a planned new treatment plant came "about $1,700,000 over budget," and that the district needs a short-term lifeline to avoid pushing user rates higher.
The district requested $175,000 from county sources to pay for grinder pumps and hookups for 10 homes the presenters say are ready to connect. "We need a lifeline," O'Shea said, adding that those 10 customers already signed easements and the district has extended mains to serve them.
Connor Myers, who joined O'Shea in the presentation, said the full project — construction plus nonconstruction costs — totaled roughly $8,000,000 and that State Revolving Fund support would cover about $6,600,000 in grant dollars. Myers said SRF could offer loans but not additional grant funds, and that taking loans would push user rates higher.
The council pressed for fiscal documentation before any county money is released. One council member said they would like to "see their financials" and the most recent audit; another warned that restricted county funds (the transcript referred to the "sock factory" fund) carry donor intent that must be respected. Helmsburg representatives said an audit had been completed in late June and that they would provide any documents the council requests.
Council members explained the next procedural steps: Helmsburg should email a formal request and the requested documents, staff must draft and advertise an ordinance for any appropriation, the council could vote in a special session, and commissioners would need to approve release of restricted funds. Council members emphasized due diligence but signaled a willingness to consider support if paperwork and legal steps are satisfied.
The presenters said they plan to re-bid a revised project within the next two months and hope to close with SRF so construction can start next year. They asked the council to consider the connection funding because without those 10 customers, the district may have to raise rates beyond the recently adopted $118 monthly charge.
