Council accepts wastewater facility plan, consultant recommends regionalization

Consultant Jen Selko, who said she works with Bolton Bank, told the City of Montrose council the city's wastewater plant is nearing capacity and requires planning to serve future growth. "When we started this process, the plant was at 85% capacity," Selko said, and described two alternatives: an on-site extended aeration activated sludge upgrade and a regionalization option that would tie Montrose into the Annandale–Maple Lake–Howard Lake Wastewater Commission.

Selko described the capital scale of both options: "So looking at the 2, the extended aeration activated sludge is estimated at about $36,000,000," she said, and contrasted that with regionalization, noting the lift-station and force-main portion "is about 13,000,000 and then we'll have to do some considerations on a buy in cost." Selko said the MPCA encourages regionalization where feasible and that the project schedule would move from facility-plan submittal to design and bidding in 2026, with multi-year construction and an anticipated initiation of operations around fall 2028.

After the presentation and a short public comment period, a councilmember moved to accept Resolution 2025-06, "resolution receiving and accepting the facility plan." The motion was seconded and the council approved the resolution by voice and roll call, recorded as passing 5-0. The vote authorized the city to proceed with the steps in the facility plan and to pursue next-stage design and funding options consistent with MPCA requirements.

The presentation noted service obligations for Montrose, Waverly and the 12 High Estates Mobile Home Park, and projected about 10,000 people over the next 20 years across those service areas. The consultant recommended the regional approach primarily on cost and operability grounds and to reduce long-term operational burdens on the city's limited site, while also noting that a buy-in and rate-structure implications would need further work.