Plant plans progress

City waits for state OK

The city’s new sewer treatment plant plans are in Little Rock awaiting approval from the Arkansas Health Department and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, according to Ken Hayes, the superintendent of the city’s Water and Wastewater Department.

Byron Hicks, engineer with McClelland Consulting Engineers, spoke to city officials at the May City Council meeting and said that once the Health Department approves the plans, a public notice will be published, then a permit is issued and then the United States Department of Agriculture should have finished their review. After the permit is issued, bids will be advertised and groundbreaking should happen by September.

“We should be able to issue a notice to proceed and get a contractor on board by the first of October,” Hicks said, adding that it all hinges on approvals.

Hayes said all financial work has been approved. He said the project is very complicated and has taken longer than anticipated.

In other business, David Eaton from Przbysz and Associates presented his completed audit of the Water and Sewer Department. “As far as what I’ve seen, everything looks pretty good,” Eaton said. “Because you guys do so much of your own labor, you don’t have a lot of expense in that. It’s all in the materials.”

“Thank you for allowing us to be your auditors. I think you’ve got a thriving community.

“It’s growing,” Eaton continued. “I’ve seen it grow just in the two years I’ve done the audit.”