FAIRHOPE – The American Rescue Plan, COVID-19 economic recovery program will provide about $1.9 million to Fairhope, which will provide some, but not all the money needed for upcoming utility improvements.
Kim Creech, city treasurer, told City Council members that Fairhope will receive $970,000 this year under the Rescue Act. The rest will be paid next July. Some of that money could be used to reimburse the city for money lost due to the pandemic.
“What I’m predicting is a little under $500,000 when we look at all the revenues,” Creech said. “We gained some in some areas, but we lost some in some areas.”
The rest of the money could be used for needed utility projects, city officials said.
Jason Langley, water and sewer director, said two projects are ready to begin.
“We have two sewer lift station projects that are shovel ready,” Langley said. “They’re ready to go out now. One is Valley, which is in the area of Dogwood and Middle Street and the other is Lakewood, which is on South Scenic 98. Both of those are very much needed -- yesterday, so they’re on the list.”
The total cost of the two lift station projects would be about $500,000.
During the June 14 City Council work session, officials said some of the money could be used for a new well and water pipeline.
The City Council voted at the June 28 meeting to approve engineering work for the transmission line, but some members expressed concern about the size and cost of the proposed pipe.
The council approved hiring Kimley-Horn to do professional consulting services for the line on Baldwin County 33. The company will be paid up to $415,000.
The plans called for a 24-inch pipe to be installed on Baldwin 33 to Fairhope Avenue, a distance of about 2.6 miles. The total cost of the project is estimated at almost $3.82 million.
Council President Jack Burrell said a previous report stated that a 16-inch line would be enough to carry water at a lower cost.
“We spend $4 million on a project,” Burrell said. “We have one engineering company that says 16 inches is going to be fine. We have other people say 24 inches is going to be fine. Which one do you believe?”
“We don’t want to be sold something we don’t need,” he added.
Langley said new wells are planned in the area and the larger pipe is needed to carry the water that will be needed in the near future.
“Where we need to be is what that plant can actually do down the road. I think it’s a diamond in the rough. There’s five or six acres the city owns and it’s already been proven there’s two water aquifers there. So, we’re tapping into the same aquifer that the two wells are there now with this new well 3-11, which would also produce, they’re estimating, around 1,000 gallons a minute,” Langley said. “A 16 can’t carry that with the velocity, so we upsize to a 24, which also prepares the city down the road for the next well that can go there, which would be an estimated another 1,000 gallons a minute, which would put us between 5 and 6 million gallons a day at that plant.”
Burrell said the city should prepare for the future, but not pay for something that will not be needed in the foreseeable future.
“Nobody’s questioning whether we want capacity,” Burrell said. “There’s no question of planning for the future. Nobody’s questioning should we plan for the future. The question is, is that number right? We don’t want to plan for 200 years in the future.”
Councilman Kevin Boone said the city could save money by preparing to meet future needs.
“If you’re going to do this work, if you have to do this work, you want to design it and have it set for the future because you are saving money in the long run because you will, with the rate that this town is growing, you will be using that again in a four or five-year period, guaranteed and you don’t have to install another line to put that out there,” Boone said.
The council also voted to hire Krebs Architecture and Engineering for design and engineering work on Treatment Plant and Well 3-11 and authorized Sullivan to negotiate a fee for the services.
