Commission authorizes advertisement for Hammond Transmission Waterline Phase 1 bids

The commission authorized staff to advertise construction bids for the Hammond Transmission Waterline Phase 1 project, intended to increase available water volume and improve fire flows in the Hammond neighborhood. Public works staff described the work as a transmission line that initially will not include direct household connections; once subsequent phases are complete and the system is tied into older lines, the additional capacity should benefit hydrants and residents.

Commissioners asked whether the project was replacing existing pipes or adding a new main and discussed the project's escalating cost—one commissioner recalled the estimate growing from roughly $1 million originally to $6–7 million now—and urged timely action to avoid further inflation. The motion to advertise for bids passed by voice vote. "This enlarges the size of the pipe allowing more water to be in that area," staff said when describing fire-flow benefits.