On March 4, Eric Lynne with Donahue and Associates approached the Stanley City Council at the council meeting with wastewater operator Nick Martin with a contract to put together a trading plan that assists the wastewater treatment plant on achieving the current “very difficult” effluent limits.
Lynne explained that the wastewater plant has to make a tight limit.
“In order to make it easier to achieve, the DNR allows us to trade credits elsewhere by doing good erosion control things elsewhere in the environment,” Lynne stated.
He stated that before implementing anything, they need to prove on paper to the DNR a solid plan that the DNR is willing to approve. Lynne said that they anticipate reviewing up to eight parcels for trade credit calculations and at the end will develop a summary Trading Plan that the city may elect to submit to the WDNR for approval and permit modification.
“Where we discharge our effluent from our wastewater treatment plan is classified by the DNR as a Class A warmwater sport fishery. So opposed to Thorp and Boyd, their discharge points are not classified as a Class A world class warmwater fishery. That gives us much more stringent effluent limits than other cities so that’s why we’re looking into this to offset that limit and make it more attainable,” Martin explained to the Council.
“Some of the equipment that we have, our filters and stuff at the wastewater treatment plant are original from when it was built in 1984 and the technology was never designed to be implemented this stringent of a limit.”
“You look through the land we have and then you talk to the DNR, and they would be ok with the credits of the properties?” Henke asked Lynne.
Lynne replied, “That’s the intent once we get through figuring out what the software that the state says to use for this that establishes our credits that we could generate. Then we submit it to the DNR for their approval.”
Alderperson Mark Fitzsimmons asked if there would be a DNR cost in addition to an engineering cost. Lynne said he didn’t believe so, but he wasn’t sure.
“Every piece of land can be worth a different credit,” Martin shared. “We want to see where we’re at credit wise with these parcels that we have.” He explained that there are different avenues or venues that can be explored as far as talking to local farmers to see if they want to participate in the program or lease land off the portal. He added that previously, land had to be leased from the same watershed but now it can be leased off the portal.
“How many credits do we need to accumulate in order to get a variance on our limits?” Fitzsimmons asked.
Lynne answered, “At the treatment plant we are really looking to double the current discharge quantity so it’s a net increase of around 150 credits but that’s prior to any ratios that apply to the various parcels.” He said that land has a better credit with a lower ratio but with nutrient management plans land parcels can obtain better ratios.
Martin told the Council that with the credits, the effluent limit could go from .075 to approximately .15 which is more manageable.
“With a .15, I believe that we could hit that consistently,” Martin stated.
The Council approved entering an engineering services agreement with Donohue & Associates for a Water Quality Trading Agreement Project at a cost of $15,000.
Land Prices
The Stanley City Council discussed raising the prices for available land at the city’s West and East Industrial Parks.
“We feel we need to move the price of the land up,” mayor Al Haas shared with the Council, citing the rise in land prices and the West Industrial Park becoming state certified. As the Council unanimously approved the new amount, the West Park land price will now be $12,500 an acre and the East Park land price will be $8,000 an acre.
Water Department
Continuing the meeting, Alderperson Mike Henke brought before the council the need for televising sewer lines.
“The last time we televised was back in 2012-2013,” Henke informed the council regarding televising sewer lines and mentioned his amazement that in twelve years the price went up five cents a linear foot.
“When it rains, we get water in our system,” Henke said that there about 100,000 gallons that shouldn’t be in the system. “We have laterals put in places that have no buildings attached and if the end is damaged there can be surface water in there.”
Henke stated that if it is televised then they will know where every lateral goes and said that televising sewer lines should be done every ten years or a tenth of the system every year.
“I’m hoping that we cut what we get inflow in by half doing this. The surface is pretty good. We want to make sure what’s underground is good too,” commented Henke.
The council voted to approve the televising of sewer lines by Flow-Rite Pipe & Sewer Services, LLC. at the cost of $143,030 with the funds coming out of the sewer reserve fund.
Police Department
Stanley police chief Lance Weiland updated the council on the future 2024 Ford police squad car and submitted a proposal for the purchase of equipment from GenComm for the new squad car.
When Haas asked when the new vehicle was scheduled to arrive, Chief Weiland answered that he wasn’t told a definitive date but was told that “Ford’s been lagging” and he should check back in a few weeks.
Kitchell inquired if Chief Weiland was looking to purchase the equipment items now when the squad hadn’t arrived.
“Yes, because some of it can take four months. I’d rather just give them the commitment, say ‘we’re good for it’ that way when our car comes, we’re not waiting for two, three, four months for equipment on top of it,” Weiland replied. Weiland added that the price also includes the installation and tear down of the existing car.
Regarding the sale of the current police squad, Chief Weiland checked prices for similar squads at the state auction site and was pleasantly surprised. “I’m optimistic we will do okay at that,” he said.
Alderperson Jacob Huff motioned to approve the purchase of police squad unit parts for the 2024 Ford squad from GenComm in the amount of $11,934.53 and the Council unanimously agreed. The Council also approved the repair of the transmission for the 2017 police squad from Stanley Truck at a cost of $1,777.z67 for a used transmission with a ninety-day warranty.
“Based on the current situation and what we have and what we’re trying to get by with and the uncertainty of where our new car’s going to be and what we’re seeing as potential resale for our car, I think it’d be wise to stick the money into it, get it back on the road to be able to use for the next two, three, four months, whatever it ends up being. And then see a bigger profit when we go to sell it versus selling it as is for $500 or $1000 whatever we could get for it,” Chief Weiland said.
Fire Department
The city council voted to enter a three-year signing contract for insurance for the Stanley Volunteer Fire Department with Provident at a cost of $1243 per year.
“So, the price is the same, just changing companies,” Haas informed the council. Under this plan, benefits would be paid to the individuals for five years.
Looking over the plans, Alderperson Holly Kitchell asked, “And those coverages that are in there, are those the same as what we had? And are those what we want?”
“It’s what we budgeted for,” Henke answered.
“Then that’s what we want,” Kitchell replied.
