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John Day Council hears wastewater treatment plant update; federal funds secured, DEQ review fee noted
Summary
City officials reported federal funds are included in the WWTP budget, engineers expect final designs by end of April, and city staff flagged a $14,000 Department of Environmental Quality review fee required at final design submission.
City Manager Melissa Bethel and contract consultant Nick Ducote updated the John Day City Council on Feb. 10 about progress on the wastewater treatment plant project and a near-term schedule for design and construction. Ducote said federal congressional funds have been secured and included in the current budget, and engineers are finalizing plans for submission to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) within the next month or two.
City Manager Melissa Bethel said that after the DEQ review and approval the construction loan can be finalized and that the final design is expected by the end of April, bidding is anticipated this fall and construction is planned for spring 2027. Bethel also told the council the project will incur ongoing expenses during the review and approval process, including a $14,000 DEQ review fee upon final design submission.
Mayor Sherrie Rininger, Bethel and Fire Chief Don Gabbard will deliver a public briefing on Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. at the Senior Center with diagrams and a question-and-answer session for residents. Bethel said Ducote will also give a presentation on the URA at a future meeting (the transcript does not expand the acronym).
The council did not take a formal vote on construction authorizations during the Feb. 10 meeting; council members were primarily briefed on schedule, funding sources already included in the budget and the anticipated next steps for regulatory approval and bidding.
