MANSFIELD — Mansfield City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on a $35 million bond issue to make EPA-mandated improvements to the city’s water treatment plant.
Before that vote is taken, however, local lawmakers will have to vote on proposed water rate increases to pay for the work, as well as launch a systematic replacement of water lines throughout the city over the next decade.
Public Works Director Dave Remy has used the word “dire” to describe conditions at the water treatment plant along Lexington-Springmill Road.
City engineer Bob Bianchi told council members last month that repairs and renovations to the water treatment plant are a necessity, especially given EPA mandates from the state.
“The last thing we would ever want to do is not be able to provide water into our system and to the citizens of Mansfield,” Bianchi said. “That would catastrophic beyond words. We don’t want to depressurize aging water lines.
“The water treatment plant is priority one. We then want to replace the water lines strategically,” he said, telling council 40 to 60 miles of the city’s water lines are aging 4-inch lines that need to be replaced with 8-inch lines to provide adequate service to residents and also to the fire department.
Bianchi said the city has about 320 miles of water lines in its system, some of which are a century old. The last water line replacement in the city was five years ago, he said.
“When I started in the engineer’s office, we averaged about 100 water main breaks a year,” Bianchi said. “It’s up to about 160 per year now.
“I think having this process says we are now adequately prepared to respond (to the city’s water needs). It’s not fun by any means, but it’s a process of being able to replace water lines that desperately needed,” the engineer said.
The increases would take effect on Jan. 1 and then increase annually through 2026.
The city administration has lowered the first announced rate of increase for the lowest level of usage, hikes that would total about 19 percent from the current rates through 2026.
The city has not increased water rates since 2004. In August, Jon Van Harlingen, 3rd Ward councilman and chair of the finance committee, expressed frustration water issues have not been addressed in the past.
“This goes back to past (city) administrations,” he said at the time. “I have personal experience at the water treatment plant and I know some things that haven’t been done. We just went through this with the wastewater treatment plant (that is raising sewer rates annually).
“I understand the need. This is just an awful lot for our citizens to swallow in a short period of time,” Van Harlingen said.
During caucus, council is expected to discuss a proposed contract with K.E. McCartney & Associates of Mansfield to continue with the engineering and construction administration services in connection with the water treatment plant.
Also on Tuesday, council is scheduled to:
— vote on the administration’s plan to spend another $845,193.07 of additional funds recently received under the CARES Act, which provides COVID-19 relief funds to state and local governments.
— vote on an ordinance that would allow the city to use the “construction manager at risk” during construction of public improvements. If approved, the manager would participate in the design process and could then perform the work or sub-contract all or parts of the project.
— vote on an amended proposal allowing the city to enter into a contract with Debt Recovery Solutions to be the third-party debt collection agent for the city to collect delinquent water and sewer accounts.
Mansfield City Parks master plan draft
— give a first read to a proposal expressing “approval and support” for the administration’s $29 million city parks master plan. The 78-page plan was developed by EMH&T, a Columbus-based company that has designed development and public works projects since 1926.
— give a first read of a plan to divest 10 of the city’s most lightly-used parks to the Richland County Land Bank, a proposal first introduced in January.
The 7 p.m. meeting Tuesday will again be “virtual,” a practice council began when the COVID-19 pandemic was recognized in Ohio. Local lawmakers have not met in person since March 18, six months ago.
The public can view the session on the city’s Facebook page or the city’s web page.
