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03/06/2017-CC-Minutes-Work SessionCITY OF SANGER, TEXAS MINUTES: CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION March 6, 2017, 6:00 PM 502 Elm Street, Sanger, Texas COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Thomas Muir, Councilman Bill Boutwell, Councilman Lee Allison, Councilman David Clark, Councilman Gary Bilyeu, Councilman Allen Chick The Mayor and All Councilmembers were present constituting a quorum. STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: Mike Brice City Manager, Cheryl Price City Secretary, Neal Welch, Director of Public Works 1. Call Meeting to Order. Mayor Muir called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. 2. Update on Wastewater Treatment Plant. City Manager Brice noted a Memo he provided to the City Council dated March 6 on the Wastewater Treatment Plant Update. The memo read as follows, “After extensive analysis by our consultant we are taking a multi-pronged approach to re-stabilizing the wastewater treatment plant. He feels the biggest issue is our inability to waste solids quickly enough. To that end we are renting and installing a temporary sludge press this week. We hope to have it in operation by Friday. The cost of renting the sludge press is $8500 a month and it will be necessary to keep it in operation until the permanent sludge press is in operation as part of the plant expansion. Also, this week we will be injecting steroids into the system to boost bacteria reproduction. Alkalinity is also out of balance and being addressed. We are also investigating the feasibility of deodorization but do not have enough information yet to make a decision. We continue to work with our consultant and engineers as we strive to reduce the odor problem and get the plant re- stabilized.” City Manager Brice noted that the cost of the temporary sludge press is something we are going to have to endure until we get the perman ent sludge press in place at the new plant and will request that the contractor who receives the bid on the job get the new one in place as soon as possible. It was noted through questioning that the sludge press would catch us up and keep us caught up because it could be done about five times faster that we are doing it right now. The permanent sludge press will be built inside of a building. There was a brief comment and discussion period regarding the improvements being made to minimize the odor of the wastewater treatment plant. 3. Presentation by Alan Plummer and Associates on Stream Restoration vs Outfall Pipeline. Tim Noack, Alan Plummer and Associates was recognized and noted that he was here last October when the concept of the stream restoration was introduced. He proceeded to give an update, noting they have done some field work and some lab work and have arrived tonight with some information that the Council will need to move forward. The stream restoration involved some field work, some geophysical and geotechnical work. The geophysical work was to identify how much sediment was in Paddock Lake and it is anywhere from eight to over twenty feet deep in sediment. They also used the geophysical work to determine the amount of limestone that was there. Unfortunately, they found that the limestone trailed off quickly once you got past the bank. The Geotechnical engineer went out and placed three borings and had the lab work done and found that it was very soft clay all the way down to the bottom. It is not the best stuff on which to build a stream channel. They also had some limited survey data that had been taken in the lake and merged it with some LIDAR data and topography for the lake area and looked at four different alternatives and alignments through the lake and around the lake and tried to come up with the best alignments for it. Each of the alignments that they did look at met the TCEQ qualifications for the discharge permit allowing for a free-flowing stream and not allowing for any ponding to occur. They looked at the technical feasibility of each of the options with consideration on cost and also, impacts to the owner of the property. Three of the options were discounted and they are presenting just one stream restoration option for consideration tonight. He referred to the rendering below and noted Ranger Creek as it comes down from the north to the Wastewater Treatment Plant and the outline of Paddock Lake the dam and the existing spillway. STREAM RESTORATION Under this option the flow would come down Ranger Creek and they would have a broad crested weir which would be constructed within the creek itself which would push flows into a channel and would be constructed parallel to that channel and that channel would be constructed in some native soil on down and would go to the edge of the lake into an area of some shallow sediments and at that point they would take the flow into a six-by-five box culvert and discharge it downstream of the current spillway so that there would be free flow through that full system. He explained in detail how the water would flow. With this option, estimated construction cost is $3,313,000, Engineering and Permitting $468,000 (which includes current project Phase I Preliminary Engineering of $100,000) Total project cost $3,781,000. The schedule because they are doing a lot of the work in the lake and creek and they would have to have a 404 permit which would take about 14 to 20 months and estimated construction 6 to 12 months (weather dependent). There was a period of discussion and questions regarding the stream restoration. There were a few technical questions from Councilman Allison; and, concern was noted by Councilman Chick regarding future maintenance of the stream option. PIPELINE OPTIONS The Pipeline option was presented by Chris Heckler of Alan Plummer and Associates presented the Pipeline Discharge options. The goal was to give the City a gravity pipeline so there is no maintenance of a pump station; and to consider the shortest pipeline length. He presented the following options below noting the differences in time, challenges, and cost with each plan. He noted they have not done any Surveys, Geotechnical, just LIDAR. He noted that the purple route is about 450 feet shorter and but may have impact being close to Mr. Riley’s house. It may save the city about half-million dollars. Everything else, permitting, time frame, etc. will be the same. Councilman Allison asked if they have considered a hybrid alternative with both the stream restoration and the pipeline? He suggested that at the point where the diversion structure is, that they utilize a 30-inch pipeline and take it all the way down to discharge from there. There was discussion of pros and cons of the idea. The Engineers advised they could look at it. City Manager requested clarification of Councilman Allison’s suggestion. Councilman Allison advised that he is suggesting they go from the plant to the diversion structure in the stream and then taking it into a pipeline around the lake in a 30-inch or maybe a larger 36-inch pipeline. There was discussion as to how you would keep the effluent separate from the rain. There was further pro and con discussion between the Engineers and Councilmembers. City Manager Brice asked if they thought that TCEQ would permit the idea. Betty Jordan with Alan Plummer and Associates was recognized and advised that they would probably permit it but you may have lost some of your flexibility in what you are looking at in the stream with increasing the flows in the future without having to ratchet down on your effluent limits. You would not have quite the flexibility that you would if you just had an open channel or a stream. Councilmembers noted that the stream option shown was going into the box culvert. There was additional discussion and Councilman Allison suggested bumping the pipeline up to a 36-inch or 42-inch pipeline to give more flexibility. City Manager Brice noted that he met with Mr. Riley a few weeks ago, and talked about the stream restoration and Mr. Riley was very much in favor of it. He advised he gave Mr. Riley the Geotechnical and Geophysical reports to look at. Mr. Riley has been out of town and will be back in town in the next few days. There was concern that if you take it underground in the pipeline that you would lose any type of free-flowing creek other than when it rains and discussion ensued on possibly going from a 30-inch to a 36-inch pipe and what the cost would be. It was noted that a 36-inch pipeline would be about $30-$40 per liner foot and the pipeline may be less expensive. But that there may be the possibility of having to put in and maintain a pump station. Betty Jordan noted that there are some intriguing elements in this and it may save money, but may limit some flows in the future, but that there may be some savings here. It will depend on the modeling above and how far up you have to go. City Manager Brice asked how long it would take to have TCEQ take a look at this idea. Betty Jordan advised that it would be just a few weeks, that they have modeled this enough and would just need to meet with them. Councilmember Clark advised that he would like to see us use the water again for irrigation of parks, etc. before dumping it in the creek. Councilmember Bilyeu noted his concerns regarding the stream, berms, etc. and future maintenance responsibilities. The engineers noted on the stream restoration that as the geotechnical structure, vegetation, and trees grow, the infrastructure would become more stable. The engineers advised that they could run a new hybrid option and figure the modeling lines and how far up they have to go, calculate the length and go bigger with the pipeline and figure out the technicalities, if it is feasible, and come back with it; and, the other options, with pros and cons for each. Mayor Muir noted concerns that this may become a big engineering deal, that this should be brainstormed for maybe just an hour or so, and trade off savings for easement costs, and find out Mr. Riley’s concerns. Discussion ensued and City Manager Brice noted first we have to determine if it is feasible and will TCEQ Allow it. Betty Jordan advised that before they go to TCEQ, they would meet with their permitting group and have an hou r or so open discussion on what TCEQ would say and then would talk to Mike Brice regarding moving forward on this. She noted the city has already paid them to do the modeling, it is just a matter of changing out the parameters and promised they were not going to give the city another huge bill. Mayor Muir noted that we do want to get the best answer we can, so this exchange has been good, and we will get there. 4. Overview of Items on Regular Agenda. There was no additional discussion of Items on the Regular Agenda. 5. Adjourn. There being no further items Mayor Muir adjourned the Work Session at 7:06 p.m.