Year in Review: Municipal Challenges

Environmental mandates were top of mind this year for city officials, and it ended with a $200 million water management plan/proposal to shore up city infrastructure the next 10 years.

Facing up to $1.6 billion in stormwater, solid waste, wastewater and air quality system upgrades over two decades, city efforts centered on developing an integrated plan to satisfy regulators while minimizing new expenses on residents. The start is dubbed the Early Action Plan – focused on limiting Environmental Protection Agency-monitored sanitary system overflows – for which wastewater rates rose 4 percent in July.

In all, the average Greene County resident is expected to pay $6,400 during the 15- to 20-year implementation period, a cost officials say is at a minimum.

“For every dollar we spend in repairs and keeping stormwater out, we save $7 downstream,” City Manager Greg Burris said this summer.

So far, regional officials with the EPA and Department of Natural Resources have endorsed the city’s steps.

On the air quality side, City Utilities is embarking on $35 million in facility upgrades funded by electric rate increases the next three fiscal years. Around the corner are costly EPA carbon emission standards expected to become effective in 2020 through 2030.