Waseca City Council has set a preliminary levy for 2017, the majority of which is going to capital improvements such as the city’s stormwater system.
At its Sept. 20 meeting, the council set the preliminary levy at $3.875 million, a 5.5 percent increase over last year.
This increase comes as the city looks to implement a capital improvement plan that addresses sewer, water, stormwater and street improvements. The city is also looking at the beginning of Elm Avenue construction next year; construction will continue into 2018.
The city also plans some replacement equipment purchases, and will next year make the first half of a payment on a new pumper truck for the Waseca Fire Department.
The 2017 budget includes:
• Increased revenue of approximately $100,000 from the decertification of a tax increment financing district
• Funding the city’s capital improvement plan, which focuses on street and storm sewer improvements
• Funding salary adjustments based on classification and compensation study findings
• A 1 percent cost of living adjustment for city employees effective Jan. 1
• Funding a contract with Pantheon
• Funding a pictometry project with the county
• Increased mosquito spraying
• Siren repair and maintenance
• Projected health, worker compensation and liability insurance increases
The council has also discussed funding scenarios for the city’s 10-year infrastructure improvement plan, and staff will bring back a recommendation for compressing the original 10-year plan to a five-year plan that will have the city moving more quickly on sewer, water, stormwater and street improvements.
Mayor John Clemons told residents that, while 5.5 percent is a large increase, it doesn’t mean individual property owners will see a 5.5 percent increase in their property taxes, and that what they would see depends on what happens with property values.
He also added that the increase reflects the fact that the city has very targeted, aggressive capital improvement projects it needs to do, and that residents will notice the improvements to the city’s infrastructure.
“We will have something to show for it,” Clemons said.
The city also set the preliminary 2017 EDA levy at $75,639.
Odor in Waseca
Many area residents have likely noticed a strong odor in the area lately, and Council member Ann Fitch asked City Manager Danny Lenz what information he had about this.
Lenz said the city has spoken with Birds Eye/Pinnacle Foods, which is where he said the odor seems to be coming from. After sitting down with Birds Eye Plant Manager Frank Shipley, Lenz reported that the facility is going through an “extensive process” or evaluating where the odor is coming from.
“(Birds Eye) is operating a new lagoon system with aeration and storage ponds, and they’re running into some areas where they think they need to re-evaluate how it was designed,” Lenz said.
It’s currently believed that the issue may be alleviated by having an industrial-sized screen put in place to help filter out some of the solids which sit at the bottom of the pond.
As the aeration process takes place, the solids are getting churned up and kicking up a smell rather than decomposing. The plant is currently shutting down aeration and have drained the pond, looking to move the solids.
In addition to this measure, other design issues are under examination to see whether the odor is emanating from other sources.
“It is a wastewater treatment plant that’s large in scale and close to the city,” Lenz said. “We don’t think that all of the odor will be eliminated, but we were very assured with the level of intensity Mr. Shipley was approaching this with and he has conveyed several times his interest in Birds Eye being a good neighbor.”
The city has asked that communication with the plant remains open in case there’s anything it can do to help.