OTTUMWA — Black Lake will switch hands from Ottumwa Water Works and Hydro to John Deere Ottumwa Works, pending City Council approval.

At tonight’s City Council meeting, council members will vote to approve an agreement between the city and Water Works to relinquish control of Black Lake.

John Deere is in need of Black Lake, which sits on the northeast side of U.S. Highway 34 by John Deere, to assist with their sewer separation project.

Mike Heffernan, general manager of Ottumwa Water Works and Hydro, said the city approached Water Works about a year ago about obtaining control of Black Lake for John Deere to use it for storm water control.

“At the same time, we’re going through a study here on our lime residual process, which is part of the wastewater process here,” Heffernan said. “The system we have in place now is not functioning as well as we’d like it to. During the winter it freezes up on us, so we’re not in compliance during the winter on wastewater.”

After working with a consultant, one suggestion was to establish a lime residual lagoon somewhere. Water Works had hoped they could use Black Lake as a site for that, but after discussions with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, they said they would not permit the lake to be used as a lagoon, Heffernan said.

“We’re seeking an alternate site now, which might be down in that area somewhere because we already have piping in place,” Heffernan said.

In exchange for this voluntary release of the lake, the city will help Water Works find another property to store lime sludge as required by the IDNR.

It will cost approximately $5 million to separate sanitary storm sewers at John Deere, but if they can use Black Lake it will save them about $1.5 million, Heffernan said.

The lake, which is Ottumwa’s third source of water after the Des Moines River and the Ottumwa Reservoir, hasn’t been needed since the reservoir was put in west of town in 2006.

“But it does place the community at a little bit higher level of risk if we were to lose the river and the reservoir,” Heffernan said. “If there were a major train wreck west of town, it could contaminate both, since the reservoir is on one side of the tracks and the river is on the other side.”

Though the likelihood of that happening is “slim and remote,” Heffernan said there’s always a chance.

“That’s the only reason our board thought long and hard before giving it [Black Lake] up,” Heffernan said. “Because once we lose that water source, it’s gone.”

Andy Hansen, plant manager of John Deere Ottumwa Works, could not be reached as of press time.

The council will also vote to award the contract for the Eisenhower Pedestrian Bridge to Iowa Bridge & Culvert, LC, of Washington, for nearly $161,000. Engineers had estimated the project would cost $172,000.

The pedestrian bridge, which crosses over Iowa Highway 149, was damaged in April 2011 when a semitruck hauling a wide-load wind turbine struck the bridge.

This cost will be funded with Capital Improvement Project funds from fiscal year 2013.

The project is scheduled for a mid-July start date dependent upon a steel beam fabrication timeline.

A public hearing will also be held tonight regarding a request to vacate a portion of Stellar Avenue north of Schafer Stadium for the construction of a new ticket and concession stand booth and restrooms and a visitors locker room.

The Ottumwa school district will dedicate a right-of-way for a new alley that will be constructed at the expense of the district.

The council will vote to approve the plans, specification, form of contract and estimated cost for the T-Hangar Construction Project at the Ottumwa Regional Airport.

The project will consist of construction of a four-stall T-hangar and associated site improvements at the airport. Included are excavation grading, granular sub-base, concrete floor and approach, and storm water intake. Alternate bid items are for a six-stall unit insulation and additional paving.

Engineers estimate this project will cost $190,640. An IDOT General Aviation Vertical Infrastructure (GAVI) grant will reimburse the city 80 percent of the project cost, up to a maximum of $135,200. The local match of $55,440 will come from the airport fund.

The city will also save money on rock salt for fiscal year 2013.

The council will vote to approve a contract with Merschman Fertilizer, LLC for 600 tons of rock salt at $68 per ton delivered for fiscal year 2013.

In April, the council approved participation in the Iowa DOT purchasing program for rock salt. The state bid amount ended up being $68.68 per ton with an estimated $2 per ton delivered.

But Larry Seals, public works director, said Wapello County was able to obtain a price of $68 per ton delivered. That price was confirmed with Brian Moore, county engineer.

Merschman Fertilizer confirmed they would offer the city the same delivered price. This price is $2.68 per ton cheaper and will save the city $1,608.

Also on the agenda:

• Appointing Nathan Wilson and Justin Clark as probationary firefighters. The Ottumwa Fire Department has been short two positions since Deputy Chief Mike Jones and Capt. Kerry McDonald retired in February and March.

• Approval of a mountain bike trail in Memorial Park, built by a group of volunteers.

• Approving plans, specifications, form of contract and estimated cost for the HMA, PCC Street Crack Repair Program 2012. The project, one of the city’s annual preventative maintenance programs, consists of sealing cracks in both hot mix asphalt and Portland concrete cement pavement. Each year $50,000 is budgeted from the Expanded Street Repair Program.

The council will meet at 6:30 p.m. tonight in council chambers at City Hall. The meeting will air live on GO-TV, cable channel 6.



Tree-limb pickup on council agenda

A late addendum to the City Council’s agenda includes a consideration to fund curbside pickup of residential tree limb debris following Saturday’s storm.

Along with the regular agenda at tonight’s council meeting, City Administrator Joe Helfenberger said the council will consider funding the pickup, which would in operation from June 25-29.