Monday, Aug. 2 in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 320 E. McCarty St.

The first phase — a 10-year $52 million bond which passed with an 84 percent approval rate in

November 2000 — was successfully completed and allowed the city to make the following

improvements:

upgrade the Regional Water Reclamation treatment plant north of the Missouri River and

the Algoa treatment plant facilities

replace deteriorating pumping stations

replace 20 miles of aging and inadequate sewer mains

remove pervasive odors from the Regional Water Reclamation facility

reduce infiltration and inflow

The second phase — a seven-year $35 million wastewater improvement bond — will allow the city to use low-interest state loans and bond sales to finance significant repairs and upgrades to its wastewater collection system. Of the $35 million, $28 million would be used for sewer collection system projects and $7 million would be used for treatment system projects. Two-thirds of the city’s wastewater collection system is more than 50 years old. The system experiences multiple problems throughout the year such as collapsed lines, force main failures, back-ups and leakage.

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Wastewater Improvement Bond — Page 2

The repairs and upgrades are necessary to remain in compliance with standards set by the Department of

Natural Resources.

If the bond passes, residents would see a 5 to 6 percent annual increase in their monthly bills for a seven-year period. The average monthly bill for city residents is currently $21 and would increase to $30 by 2017. Even with the proposed increase, Jefferson City would remain one of the lowest-cost wastewater systems in the

region.

If the bond does not pass, the city will still be required to make improvements to its wastewater collection

system, and the average monthly rate could more than double because the city would be required to pay for the project without loans or be subjected to state mandates that would require the system to be upgraded in a short-er amount of time.

The City Council will hold a work session at 5:30 p.m., Monday, Aug. 9 to discuss the $35 million bond and is expected to approve its placement on the Nov. 2 ballot at its Aug. 16 meeting. If the bond is approved by voters in November, the proposed rate increase would take effect in June 2011.

For more information about the proposed $35 million wastewater improvement bond, visit the city’s Web site at www.jeffcitymo.org.

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