Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The Sweet Home City Council on Aug. 28 agreed to add some $2 million to its loan from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to reduce inflow and infiltration (I&I) in its sewer system.
The council approved a resolution authorizing the expansion of a loan from the DEQ from nearly $4 million to nearly $6 million as part of the city’s ongoing work on reducing I&I.
This is in addition to about $6 million the city has already borrowed in two other I&I reduction projects. With this loan the city will have borrowed nearly $12 million from the DEQ for I&I reduction projects. The city also has authorization to borrow up to $10 million for the construction of a new water treatment plant.
This loan expands one that started in March 2005 when the council authorized the establishment of a $2 million loan for the collection of better data on which to base sewer rehabilitation work and identify possible modifications to the wastewater treatment plant, Public Works Director Mike Adams said.
In June 2005, the council authorized a complete system cleaning and TV inspection to assess the condition of the entire sewer collection system.
In November 2006, the council authorized the completion of planning, surveying, design, bid and construction for the construction portion of this phase, the third so far in efforts to reduce I&I.
I&I is water that leaks into the sewer system through deteriorating, cracked pipes and cross connections to storm drains during heavy rains. The water then runs to the treatment plant where it must be treated with wastewater. When the treatment plant exceeds capacity as a result, the wastewater is bypassed directly to the South Santiam River.
The city has an agreement with the DEQ to reduce I&I by 2010 so that the plant will not need to bypass in any one-in-five-year storms during a 24-hour period.
Construction projects so far have focused on replacing sewer mains and private laterals in different areas.
The overall results of the work are inconclusive, Adams said. It cannot be measured until a one-in-five-year storm, 24-hour event takes place.
The projects have been beneficial to the overall integrity, and I&I reduction has taken place in specific areas where work has been done, Adams said. “Our data show that half of our problem is in the private laterals.”
This project will include some work in private laterals, he said.
“As we keep borrowing money and putting money into the ground, there is an improvement,” Adams said. “But somewhere along the way there’s going to have to be a cost-benefit analysis.
“We’re just going to keep plugging away at it to show the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the DEQ we’re making a good faith effort to meet the MAO (the agreement with DEQ),” Adams said. “This project is the next step of many.”
In other business, the council:
– Approved the rezone of 1859 Ulex from residential industrial transition to medium density residential for Sami Abounozwa on behalf of Yolanda Stover and held the first reading of the ordinance to implement the rezone.
– Approved the annexation of 1350 and 1360 Fern Lane into the city for Paola Castalda and held the first reading of the ordinance to implement the annexation.
– Appointed Tracy Smith, Cameron Vasseur and Bryana Bittner to the Youth Advisory Council. Smith and Bittner served last year.
– Held the first reading of an ordinance authorizing the city to complete criminal background checks on its employees when they are in the hiring process.
During an audit, the city was found out of compliance with Law Enforcement Data System and FBI National Crime Information Center policies and procedures in one area, Police Chief Bob Burford said. The city had been conducting background checks on parks employees who may come into contact with children, but in order to do that, policy required the city have an ordinance in place to provide that authority.
The new ordinance will permit the city to conduct criminal background checks on any new employee and establish standards for those ineligible for city employment.
Applicants with a felony conviction within 15 years or a conviction for a “crime of dishonesty,” narcotics or property crimes within five years of applying for a city job will be ineligible under the ordinance. An applicant’s failure to reveal any criminal convictions on the application also will be grounds for the city to deny employment.