Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Authorizing the Mayor to Sign the IDNR Environmental Information Document RESOLUTION NO. 20-574 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN THE IDNR ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION DOCUMENT FOR THE CITY OF AMES,IOWA WHEREAS,the Ames Water Treatment Plant relies on a network of 22 potable supply wells as the source of drinking water for the community; and, WHEREAS, as old wells fail and need to be replaced and as demand for treated water increases, additional wells must be drilled; and, WHEREAS,the location of a new well field has been chosen using a detailed ground water hydraulic model; and, WHEREAS, the new wells are proposed to be constructed on land owned by the City and located north of East 13t' Street and east of the Skunk River; and, WHEREAS, development of the proposed well field will consist of an interconnecting pipeline and three new wells,each with a capacity of 1,000 gallons per minute,and standby electrical power will also be included in the scope of the project; and, WHEREAS, the planned new well field will add an estimated 2.6 million gallons per day (MGD) of raw water that can be delivered to the City's Water Treatment Plant; and, WHEREAS, on April 23, 2019, Council issued a Notice to Bidders for the North River Valley Well Field and Pipeline project and the combined total project cost was over the engineer's estimate by 34%; therefore, on June 11, 2019, City Council rejected all the bids; and, WHEREAS, since the rejection of bids, staff has moved the funding for the project construction from an upfront payment of the Water Fund to a 20-year loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund(SRF)program; and, WHEREAS,moving to the SRF loan program will ensure adequate funding for construction and help mitigate future water rate increases; and, WHEREAS,a public hearing on the environmental impact of the project construction is one of the first steps to meeting requirements of the SRF loan program; and, WHEREAS,an Environmental Information Document(EID)has been prepared by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), which evaluated the impact of constructing a new well field and pipeline; and, WHEREAS, the IDNR requires that the City hold a hearing where the public can offer comments on the EID,after which the Mayor would sign the EID,indicating that it is accurate to the best of his knowledge, and a separate hearing will be held before the City enters into any financial agreements with the SRF loan program. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Ames, Iowa, that the Mayor is hereby authorized to sign the IDNR Environmental Information Document on behalf of the City of Ames is hereby approved. ADOPTED THIS 27th day of October, 2020. Diane R. Voss, City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor Introduced by: Gartin Seconded by: Betcher Voting aye: Beatty-Hansen, Betcher, Gartin, Junck, Martin Voting nay: None Absent: Corrieri Resolution declared adopted and signed by the Mayor this 27th day of October, 2020.