Vinton council approves change order, accepts $600,000 CWSRF supplemental loan for wastewater plant

The Vinton City Council on Dec. 26 approved a set of measures to advance work on the city’s wastewater treatment plant, including a change order, authorization for geotechnical evaluation and acceptance of a supplemental forgivable loan under the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF).

Mayor (S1) called for approval of change order No. 3 for the wastewater treatment plant improvements; a motion (mover identified in the meeting record as Riley) was seconded and passed by roll call. Council then authorized geotechnical work for the project after a separate motion and roll-call vote.

The city attorney (S4) told the council that if members chose to accept the CWSRF forgivable loan, the award would add $600,000 toward the wastewater project “on top of” earlier assistance, which S4 characterized as bringing the grant total to roughly $2.6 million to $2.7 million for the project. S4 said federal requirements for the award had been completed and recommended acceptance.

Council members approved acceptance of the CWSRF supplemental agreement by roll call. City staff said the funds would be applied to the wastewater treatment plant project and that environmental assessment work and coordination with bond counsel and the city’s financial adviser were already underway.

Why it matters: The combined approvals move the project from planning into additional contracting and site work, and the supplemental federal assistance reduces local borrowing or direct costs for the plant upgrade.

What’s next: City staff indicated environmental assessment and bonding steps continue; council actions at this meeting authorized staff to proceed with the geotechnical work and to accept the CWSRF supplemental award.

(Reporting based on the council’s Dec. 26 meeting transcript; direct statements attributed to speakers by their meeting labels: Mayor [S1] and city attorney [S4].)