Construction on the long awaited North Canon Sanitary sewer project could get underway this winter if all of the final legal hurdles can be cleared in the coming weeks. Properties in an area generally north of High Street between York and Lawrence Streets and several residences south of High Street between York and Pennsylvania are targeted to have their failing septic systems replaced by sanitary sewer lines. Many residents have dealt with septic problems for years caused by high water tables and poor soil conditions. They have petitioned Fremont County and the Fremont Sanitation District to aid them in getting sanitary sewer service. Septic maintenance and failures have proven quite costly and have created numerous public health problems due to raw sewage which surfaces above ground.
Since contract agreements were circulated among residents in late 2006, the Fremont Sanitation District has worked to assemble a grant and loan package to help finance the $3.3 million project. Sanitation District Manager George Medaris said there are two key components to finance the project. The first is a $1.3 million Community Development Block Grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. The project was first estimated to cost $2.6 million but as prices escalated over the past eighteen months the original $500,000 grant application was reworked into a much larger grant.
The second financial component is a $2 million loan from the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority. Since its creation by the legislature in 1981, the Authority has evolved into a major financing resource for water and wastewater utilities throughout Colorado. The $2 million loan will have to be repaid over a 20 year period by the 176 customers who will hook up to sanitary sewer. The contracts signed by residents in the service area listed a maximum monthly charge of $45 for debt service on the loan. In addition to the debt service, residents will also have to pay the standard monthly sewer charge, which currently is $17.56, once sewer lines are installed. As part of their in-kind contribution to secure the grant, the residents will be responsible for removing their existing septic systems.
To formally initiate the project the Fremont County Commissioners must create a local improvement district. A public hearing on creation of the improvement district is set for Wednesday, November 12th, at 10 a.m. during the regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners. As part of the hearing the Fremont Sanitation District will report on how much support has been shown from residents within the proposed boundaries. Based upon the signed contracts from residents submitted in early 2007, nearly 54 percent of the residents have indicated support for the project. All of the residents in the proposed district will soon receive a letter detailing the status of the project, estimated costs and assessments, and an announcement of the public hearing.
If the county commissioners approve a resolution creating the North Canon Sewer Improvement District it's expected that the Fremont Sanitation District will be ready to advertise for bids by January. That would allow a bid to perhaps be awarded early next year so construction can get underway soon thereafter. Officials hope to get most of the project completed by early summer of 2009 before water tables begin rising in the area.
Since contract agreements were circulated among residents in late 2006, the Fremont Sanitation District has worked to assemble a grant and loan package to help finance the $3.3 million project. Sanitation District Manager George Medaris said there are two key components to finance the project. The first is a $1.3 million Community Development Block Grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. The project was first estimated to cost $2.6 million but as prices escalated over the past eighteen months the original $500,000 grant application was reworked into a much larger grant.
The second financial component is a $2 million loan from the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority. Since its creation by the legislature in 1981, the Authority has evolved into a major financing resource for water and wastewater utilities throughout Colorado. The $2 million loan will have to be repaid over a 20 year period by the 176 customers who will hook up to sanitary sewer. The contracts signed by residents in the service area listed a maximum monthly charge of $45 for debt service on the loan. In addition to the debt service, residents will also have to pay the standard monthly sewer charge, which currently is $17.56, once sewer lines are installed. As part of their in-kind contribution to secure the grant, the residents will be responsible for removing their existing septic systems.
To formally initiate the project the Fremont County Commissioners must create a local improvement district. A public hearing on creation of the improvement district is set for Wednesday, November 12th, at 10 a.m. during the regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners. As part of the hearing the Fremont Sanitation District will report on how much support has been shown from residents within the proposed boundaries. Based upon the signed contracts from residents submitted in early 2007, nearly 54 percent of the residents have indicated support for the project. All of the residents in the proposed district will soon receive a letter detailing the status of the project, estimated costs and assessments, and an announcement of the public hearing.
If the county commissioners approve a resolution creating the North Canon Sewer Improvement District it's expected that the Fremont Sanitation District will be ready to advertise for bids by January. That would allow a bid to perhaps be awarded early next year so construction can get underway soon thereafter. Officials hope to get most of the project completed by early summer of 2009 before water tables begin rising in the area.