SIOUX CITY -- The Sioux City Council will be asked Monday to vote on a motion and a resolution concerning the wastewater treatment plant reconstruction and design advisory committee.
In May, the council green-lighted the creation of the committee as a formal mechanism to address concerns by users during the design stages of the plant's reconstruction. The committee's overall mission is to ensure the reconstruction addresses the needs of the community now and in the future.
During the council's May 1 meeting, Siouxland Chamber of Commerce President Chris McGowan warned council members were jeopardizing their relationship with the business community if they didn't "tap the brakes" on a projected $470 million rebuild of the city's aging wastewater treatment plant. At that time, McGowan handed council members a proposal to form a workgroup or committee.
A week later, on May 8, the council voted unanimously in favor of a resolution to form such a committee. The committee was initially slated to have 15 members, but that number has since grown to 25.
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On Monday, the council will consider a motion to delete Mayor Bob Scott as a member of the committee and replace him with another council member. During the council's last meeting, Scott requested that Mayor Pro Tem Dan Moore take his place on the committee. City Manager Bob Padmore told The Journal on Friday that Councilwoman Julie Schoenherr is expected to be the other council member who will serve on the committee.
The council will also be asked to make a motion to appoint representatives to fill vacancies on the committee.
According to city documents, the committee is to be composed of the following: utilities director, wastewater treatment plant manager, city manager, finance director, lead project manager of the selected engineering firm, two Sioux City Council members, five citizens of Sioux City, six members of the major industrial users, a staff or board member from both the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce and the Siouxland Initiative, an independent wastewater engineer, as well as representatives from Dakota Dunes, North Sioux City, Sergeant Bluff and South Sioux City.
"We haven't received a list of any industries yet, but if we get any industry names, those would be added on Monday as well," Padmore said. "But right now, it's particular people that are identified by position that will be appointed on Monday. All the citizens have already been appointed, I believe."
The council, at its last meeting, approved a nearly $38 million consulting services agreement with Hazen and Sawyer P.C. for the wastewater treatment plant facility plan improvements project. The Minneapolis environmental engineering firm, will provide design, site survey and geotechnical investigation, construction administration and observation, as well as post construction services for the project in an amount not to exceed $37,822,334.
The agreement passed by a vote of 3 to 1. Scott, who was initially going to abstain on the matter, cast the lone "no" vote. Councilman Matthew O'Kane was absent from the meeting.
"We haven't had a meeting yet to discuss any of this. The business community is concerned that we're getting our cart in front of our horse," McGowan told the council before the vote. "We've been asking for this dialogue since March or April, and we'd like to see that commence before we commit to spending $37 million on the scope."
Padmore said Friday that a date for the wastewater treatment plant reconstruction and design advisory committee's first meeting has not yet been set.
"After we get enough appointed to have a quorum, and hopefully more, we're going to suggest some dates. We really want to have 100% attendance at the first meeting."
The wastewater treatment plant facility plan improvements are intended to be implemented across two phases, with a potential third future growth-driven phase.
The plant, 3100 S. Lewis Blvd., poses significant safety issues for city staff and has a history of compliance issues with the state. In January of 2022, the Iowa DNR filed suit against the city over alleged repeated environmental violations at the plant, which dated back to March 2012. The city faces fines adding up to millions of dollars.