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Commission presses Veolia after plant clarifier failures and summertime odor complaints; plant manager requested
Summary
Commissioners pressed staff and the plant operator about repeated primary‑clarifier failures and persistent summertime odors; staff described upgrades but commissioners requested the contract plant manager appear at the next meeting for direct answers and asked staff to email the contract’s odor‑control provisions.
Commissioners spent a sustained portion of the meeting on persistent odor complaints and longstanding mechanical issues with several primary clarifiers at the wastewater treatment plant.
Neil, who delivered the wastewater update, described recent capital upgrades and the incinerator start‑up difficulties. He said crews have been working on the clarifiers daily and that, while operators are hauling sludge (about two 40‑ton trailers per day) while the incinerator is finalized, some clarifier flights remain nonoperational and contribute to backlog and odors.
Commissioners called the odor problem unacceptable, pressed for a clear timetable and asked whether the current contract with Veolia obliges the operator to remediate. Counsel and staff agreed the commission may compel the contract manager to attend and answer questions. The board voted to request the plant manager appear at a future meeting and asked staff to circulate the contract and the odor‑control sections in advance so commissioners can evaluate performance against the contract standard.
