Employees and council members from Clearwater and Clear Lake met last week to discuss future options for their shared wastewater treatment facility, which is run by the Clearwater – Clear Lake Sewer Authority.

 

Tony Strande, current operator of the plant, will be retiring within the next two to five years, and a decision will need to be made on who will be replacing him.

 

“We have two options to consider,” said Clearwater Mayor Pete Edmonson. “We need a class A operator on site, so do we want to hire another class A, or hire a class C or B who is working towards a class A? Or do we want to outsource the position instead?”

 

He also indicated they would need to decide if they wanted to offer the position as full time or part time, and inquired about Clearwater and Clear Lake staff members who may have expressed interest in running the plant.

 

Strande is a full time plant employee; over the past four years there has been a combination of full and part time operators at the facility.

 

The possibility of Clear Lake Public Works Supervisor Dustin Luhning and John Schmidt, Clearwater public works, running the plant was discussed.

 

Currently Luhning and Schmidt perform necessary basic duties at the plant on weekends. Schmidt expressed concern that if he and Luhning were expected to run the plant they wouldn’t have time to accomplish their original job responsibilities. The facility needs to be staffed a minimum of 12 hours per week as required by the State. 

 

Schmidt informed the group James Kirchenbauer, Clearwater public works employee, has expressed interest in getting his class A license, however he doesn’t want to be the sole operator.

 

Kirchenbauer worked for the sewer authority before coming to Clearwater, and currently holds a class C license. 

 

Clear Lake Mayor Tim Goenner said Nicholle Corey, Clear Lake maintenance employee, has also expressed interest in the position.

 

 

The group agreed it would be prudent to get proposals on outsourcing the position versus the cost to keep it in-house. 

 

Another scenario brought to the table by Edmonson was one city buying the other out and taking over responsibility for the wastewater treatment facility completely. The city bought out would then be charged for use just like any other consumer. As the entity with the largest usage and greater debt, the most likely scenario would be Clearwater buying out Clear Lake.

 

Goenner asked what the benefit to Clearwater would be with this option, as they would still have the debt to be concerned with.

 

Edmonson said the sewer authority board would be phased out and responsibility would be taken over by the Clearwater council and staff, and operating costs would be reduced by cutting out duplicate expenses such as insurance, benefits, and having two audits.

 

Clearwater Council Member Rich Petty added they would have the ability to restructure the debt and bring the payment down, which would potentially lower both cities’ rates.

 

Clear Lake Council Member Dale Powers said there would have to be an appraisal of the plant to determine its value as basis for the amount Clearwater would pay to buy out Clear Lake. 

 

He also expressed concern since the plant is in Clear Lake city limits, and said he would be opposed to anything that would detach the facility from the city.

 

It was agreed there would have to be potential pros on both sides for the buy out to occur.

 

Goenner informed the group he had just heard the bonding bill was back on the table, which was potentially good news for the funding they had requested.

 

For the past three years the sewer authority has asked for State funding for upgrades to the wastewater treatment facility that would lower costs and make it more efficient.

 

Upgrades would involve constructing a rapid infiltration system that would allow wastewater to slowly seep into the ground. Currently wastewater is treated at the plant with chemicals and discharged into the Mississippi River.

 

Geotubes would also be constructed, in which biosolids would be stored in large porous tubes above the ground until compacted into mulch. Currently they’re stored in ponds where they slowly break down. Once the ponds fill up the solids will have to be transported to other locations.