Finance Committee - 8/2/2017 Page 12
the Board of Public Works, or the Board of Aldermen informed about problems, lack of maintenance and as a
result of the lack of maintenance, there were failures and the plant partially shut down for a period of time.
Public Works moved in particularly with Alderman Deane and Alderman Siegel involved on a very hands on
basis to make many corrections. We hired an engineering firm to design a lot of a different changes. The
whole plant is being rehabilitated really and we had issued with DES. They came in and they did an audit. As
a result of all this, there have been many changes, many upgrades, pumps, digesters, everything, is being
replaced and is being fixed. We're in very good shape now with DES. That’s the Department of
Environmental Services which regulates the wastewater treatment plant. A State agency. We've made great
progress. We’re in good shape with them but they continue to recommend a whole schedule of changes that
many of which had been planned for a long time. In addition, things occasionally happen which are not
expected and that then gets into the que as well. It’s not that they’re trying to play you or something. It’s just
that they’re going forward with a whole schedule.
Alderman Cookson
Let me ask it this way then. | didn’t want to imply that but what | am interested in is information in order to
make an educated decision. So the answers to these questions will have been discussed at a Board of Public
Works meeting?
Mayor Donchess
Not necessarily.
Alderman Cookson
So where is it that we can get the information that we need to make an educated decision on these
expenditures?
Mayor Donchess
Well as you saw two weeks ago, the details regarding each of these things are highly technical. The work has
to do with the process at the treatment plant and really the only people who have in depth knowledge or the
people who have most in depth knowledge are those that work at the plant. Noelle Osborne is kind of second
in command and she came in last time to explain a couple of large items.
Alderman Cookson
Again questions that | had posed at a Finance meeting that required her expertise to answer.
Mayor Donchess
| think four weeks or a month ago you had asked various questions regarding a couple of large items or one
large item and one smaller item. We had Ms. Osborne come in and explain them. | think she did a very good
job. We could have here come in again. If you want explanation regarding all the changes that are going on
in the treatment plant, we really need to bring her in to explain each of these things. I’m not saying that I’m
against that or that you’re questions are unreasonable...
Alderman Cookson
No, but wouldn't it be helpful for the committee to understand what direction we’re going in with the
wastewater treatment facility so that we can sort of anticipate some of the needs and when we get a request
for X, Y, and Z we’re going to say oh yeah Noelle was in here and she told us that we should anticipate this.
We're going to need to make this purchase to make sure that we’re up to 100 percent capacity or whatever
