Newburgh council approves sewer CMOM for EPA submission, hires engineering services and awards downtown sign contract
March 12, 2026 | Town of Newburgh, Warrick County, Indiana
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The Town of Newburgh Town Council on March 11, 2026 approved the sewer utility’s annual CMOM (Capacity, Management, Operations and Maintenance) report for submission to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, authorized hiring Commonwealth Engineering for SS4A engineering services, and awarded a $17,680 contract to Elite to install decorative downtown street signs.
The council’s action came after a presentation from town engineer Drew Plenti, who described the CMOM report as a required, annual self‑assessment tied to an EPA consent decree and a tool the utility uses to reduce permit risk and prolong asset life. Plenti highlighted preventive maintenance and inspection work completed over the past year and said the utility “treated approximately 1,395,000,000 gallons” and recorded an overflow of “4,275 gallons,” which he described as about 0.0003% of treated flow. He also said a pre/post modeling exercise showed a “30% reduction” in wet‑weather flows that he estimated equated to about $3,000,000 in avoided capital improvements.
Why it matters: the CMOM program documents how the utility manages sewer infrastructure under the EPA consent decree, and approval authorizes staff and engineering to submit the report to the EPA and continue projects intended to limit future permit violations and costly capital work.
Council action on several procurement items followed routine committee recommendations. Deputy Town Manager Andrea Balbomi reported the sidewalks committee’s scoring favored Commonwealth Engineering over StructurePoint for professional engineering services under the SS4A program; Leanna Kaye Hughes moved to approve the committee recommendation and the council carried the motion by voice vote. On downtown signage, Town Manager Chris Cook said the lowest responsive quote for installing foundations and decorative signs at roughly 33–34 locations was from Elite for $17,680 and that the expenditure would come from previously allocated bond money. The council approved that estimate by voice vote.
On energy incentives, Balbomi said staff had contacted Harding, Shmansky & Company to prepare complex forms for a solar rebate program and asked for authorization to sign an engagement letter. A council member moved to approve the engagement letter conditioned on a fee at or below $1,200; the motion was seconded and approved. Balbomi said Harding will return with a price and that staff expect the initial engagement to fit within the cap.
Votes at a glance:
• Approve Commonwealth Engineering for SS4A professional engineering services — motion moved by Leanna Kaye Hughes; seconded; approved by voice vote.
• Award decorative street sign installation to Elite — $17,680 (bond funds) — motion moved and seconded; approved by voice vote.
• Approve engagement letter with Harding, Shmansky & Company for solar rebate assistance, fee not to exceed $1,200 — motion moved and seconded; approved by voice vote.
• Approve CMOM annual report and authorize engineering to submit to EPA — motion moved by Steve Shoemaker; seconded by Leanna Kaye Hughes; approved by voice vote.
• Send letters of accommodation to utility staff (copies placed in personnel files) — motion moved and carried.
• Approve claims for payment (town and sewer amounts provided to council in advance) — motion moved and carried; meeting adjourned.
Council members and staff said the approvals are procedural but significant in practice: the CMOM report documents a year of proactive maintenance that the town says reduces long‑term costs, the engineering contract supports sidewalk safety and federal program compliance, and the sign contract uses bond funds set aside for downtown improvements. Manager Cook said Elite could begin work nearly immediately, weather permitting, and staff will post the CMOM highlights and full report on the town website. The engagement letter for rebate work will be signed and returned with a fee proposal; if the fee exceeds the cap the council asked staff to return for further direction.
The meeting concluded with routine committee reports and approval of claims. The council adjourned without further substantive actions scheduled.
The council’s action came after a presentation from town engineer Drew Plenti, who described the CMOM report as a required, annual self‑assessment tied to an EPA consent decree and a tool the utility uses to reduce permit risk and prolong asset life. Plenti highlighted preventive maintenance and inspection work completed over the past year and said the utility “treated approximately 1,395,000,000 gallons” and recorded an overflow of “4,275 gallons,” which he described as about 0.0003% of treated flow. He also said a pre/post modeling exercise showed a “30% reduction” in wet‑weather flows that he estimated equated to about $3,000,000 in avoided capital improvements.
Why it matters: the CMOM program documents how the utility manages sewer infrastructure under the EPA consent decree, and approval authorizes staff and engineering to submit the report to the EPA and continue projects intended to limit future permit violations and costly capital work.
Council action on several procurement items followed routine committee recommendations. Deputy Town Manager Andrea Balbomi reported the sidewalks committee’s scoring favored Commonwealth Engineering over StructurePoint for professional engineering services under the SS4A program; Leanna Kaye Hughes moved to approve the committee recommendation and the council carried the motion by voice vote. On downtown signage, Town Manager Chris Cook said the lowest responsive quote for installing foundations and decorative signs at roughly 33–34 locations was from Elite for $17,680 and that the expenditure would come from previously allocated bond money. The council approved that estimate by voice vote.
On energy incentives, Balbomi said staff had contacted Harding, Shmansky & Company to prepare complex forms for a solar rebate program and asked for authorization to sign an engagement letter. A council member moved to approve the engagement letter conditioned on a fee at or below $1,200; the motion was seconded and approved. Balbomi said Harding will return with a price and that staff expect the initial engagement to fit within the cap.
Votes at a glance:
• Approve Commonwealth Engineering for SS4A professional engineering services — motion moved by Leanna Kaye Hughes; seconded; approved by voice vote.
• Award decorative street sign installation to Elite — $17,680 (bond funds) — motion moved and seconded; approved by voice vote.
• Approve engagement letter with Harding, Shmansky & Company for solar rebate assistance, fee not to exceed $1,200 — motion moved and seconded; approved by voice vote.
• Approve CMOM annual report and authorize engineering to submit to EPA — motion moved by Steve Shoemaker; seconded by Leanna Kaye Hughes; approved by voice vote.
• Send letters of accommodation to utility staff (copies placed in personnel files) — motion moved and carried.
• Approve claims for payment (town and sewer amounts provided to council in advance) — motion moved and carried; meeting adjourned.
Council members and staff said the approvals are procedural but significant in practice: the CMOM report documents a year of proactive maintenance that the town says reduces long‑term costs, the engineering contract supports sidewalk safety and federal program compliance, and the sign contract uses bond funds set aside for downtown improvements. Manager Cook said Elite could begin work nearly immediately, weather permitting, and staff will post the CMOM highlights and full report on the town website. The engagement letter for rebate work will be signed and returned with a fee proposal; if the fee exceeds the cap the council asked staff to return for further direction.
The meeting concluded with routine committee reports and approval of claims. The council adjourned without further substantive actions scheduled.
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