Sherwood advances 12-inch sanitary force-main planning while easements, funding and bids remain

Sherwood officials continued a multiyear push to plan and build a 12-inch sanitary force main to support sewer service-area expansion and system reliability. The utility commission and Board authorized McMahon Associates to provide design, bidding and construction-phase services for the proposed force main (design contract recommendation ~ $96,000), and staff reported that all required property easements had been circulated with some owners requesting compensation.

Board and staff emphasized they would not proceed to final bidding until easement signatures were secured; the Coordinator reported working with property owners to resolve concerns. Trustees discussed potential TIF eligibility for portions of utility infrastructure and asked staff to prepare cost estimates and a capital schedule to present to the TIF and to incorporate into the 2008–2010 capital plan.

The project also touched procurement rules: for portions where professional engineering work and construction elements exceeded statutory bid thresholds, the attorney and staff advised public bidding procedures and the Utility Commission recommended public bids for related chemical-feed and building work at a lift station (see related article on ferrous-chloride feeding). Board discussions also considered utility-rate impacts and the timing of payments and assessments tied to development.