Investing in more infrastructure

The Hartley City Council on Monday moved forward with plans to add to an existing infrastructure upgrade on the east side of town.

Members unanimously approved a design services agreement with Bolton & Menk for cure-in-place-pipe (CIPP) lining related to the lift station replacement project. The lining work was added to the construction itinerary after bids for the lift station came in much lower than anticipated last month.

"CIPP is a relatively simple way to repair lining," engineer Wes Boyer told the council. "This will affect all sanitary sewer lines leading to the main project."

The lift station replacement project was originally estimated at $908,570 without engineering, administrative and legal fees. However, GM Contracting, Inc., of Lake Crystal, Minn, submitted a bid of $502,006.46 for replacement and construction of the lift station, which resulted in some very unexpected consequences.

Since the city received a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to help pay for the project, around 50 percent of that amount would have to be returned because it wouldn't be needed to pay for the project. Bolton & Menk suggested that the council add to the scope of the project so those dollars could be utilized for additional infrastructure improvements. CIPP was determined to be the most effective way to get the most bang for the city's buck.

CIPP lining is a method of trenchless rehabilitation and restoration used in the repair of existing sewer lines. The process uses a textile liner tube and a liquid resin to reseal cracks and other damage, in turn reducing the amount of inflow and infiltration into pipes and lessening the burden on the sewer system.

Due to CDBG restrictions, the CIPP lining work can only be added to the area the lift station services. Hartley qualified for the grant because the neighborhood affected by the upgrade met the low-to-moderate income threshold required for funding.

Boyer said designs for the additional CIPP lining won't begin until an amendment to the CDBG funding is approved.

"We wanted to stay ahead of the game and didn't want to delay this until January," he explained.

Work on the new lift station is expected to start this spring. It will replace the old one located at North Eighth Avenue East and Second Street Northeast that serves a large potion of the northeast quadrant of town. It was built in 1967 and is outdated and undersized.