Ione council hears wastewater project update; contractor targets June 15 substantial completion

Dane Maben, engineer with Anderson Perry & Associates, updated the Ione City Council on the city’s wastewater project, saying contractor crews continue septic-tank installations and surface restoration and that roughly five septic installations remain before the contractor will request substantial completion.

The project schedule on file shows substantial completion during the week of June 15, 2026. Maben said the contractor provided a three-week look-ahead schedule to the engineer and that Swaggart Brothers agreed to pay Anderson Perry’s fee for a contract extension.

Council records show Bruce Johnson Construction (subcontractor) is installing new septic tanks and that Swaggart Brothers, Inc. is performing surface restoration and cleanup. The council approved payment for PMR#19 to Anderson Perry & Associates and Swaggart Brothers as part of routine project invoicing.

City staff also told the council the Department of Environmental Quality agreed to allow goats to graze the project’s drainfield for weed control; a consulting agronomist recommended planting clover and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grass seed for ground cover.

Finally, the council approved Change Order No. 13 (interest on late payments) and Change Order No. 14 (contract time extension), both items the council had discussed previously in March 2026. No motion language or dissenting votes were recorded in the minutes beyond the approvals noted in the meeting record.

The council did not set a new substantial-completion date at the meeting; the project team will submit a formal request for substantial completion when the remaining installations and restoration work are finished.