The City of Newcastle is just about ready to open the new wastewater treatment facility, but they ran into what could have been a snag concerning the location planned for a Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) sewage treatment plant on State Highway 9.
During the May City Council meeting, City Manager Kevin Self reported that he had spoken with Wall Engineering concerning the new plant on N.E. 16th Street, just west of Portland. He said they told him that construction was proceeding nicely, and that no contingency amounts in the loan budget had been touched.
Self said a clean water test was expected soon and if the plant passes, it should be opened after that. The City will be having a meeting next Wednesday to discuss opening. Self said it will hopefully be in June or early July.
The city manager also said surveys have been completed in the area where the city was planning to purchase land to build an MBR plant to service the new Chickasaw Nation health center and businesses along SH-9. The surveys, however, showed existing infrastructure in the area which could have made the location unfeasible.
“The boundary survey and ALTA survey in progress has found several pipelines. The property and easement lines have been staked, and the surveyor is working with Wall Engineering to determine whether this property was still feasible for location of the plant,’ Self said.
Self said after further speaking with the engineer and seeing the survey, it was determined that “the property will work just fine.”
The City is expecting to close on that property on June 13.
In other business during the May City meeting, the Council approved $1,000 increases in the water and sewer Impact Fees. These are fees charged for new connections to the City’s water meters and sewer facilities.
Self said the City’s costs have increased and everything is costing the City more on their projects. A 2003 study by Newgen Strategies and Solutions called for an increase in the fees. The Council at that time increased fees, but approved a lower amount than what the study suggested.
The following is the new fee schedule with each category raised $1,000:
2025 Water Facilities Impact Fee ¾” water meter - $3,500 1” water meter - $4,000 1½ to 2” water meter - $4,500 3” water meter - $5,500 4” water meter = $6,500 6” water meter = $7,500 8” water meter = $8,500
2025 Sewer Impact Fee
¾” water meter = $3,500 1” water meter = $4,000 1½ to 2” water meter = $4,500 3” water meter = $5,500 4” water meter = $6,500 6” water meter = $7,500 8” water meter = $8,500 According to City Ordinance, “Funds collected from water facilities impact fees shall be used solely for the purpose of acquiring, equipping, and/ or making capital improvements to water facilities in the Newcastle Public Works Authority water system and shall not be used for maintenance or operations.
“Funds from the Water Facilities Impact Fee Trust Fund may only be used for water facility purposes. Funds shall be expended in the order in which they are collected.
“In the event that bonds or similar debt instruments are issued for advance provision of capital facilities for which Water Facilities Impact Fees may be expended, impact fees may be used to pay debt service on such bonds or similar debt instruments.”
