A Grand Forks City Council committee has recommended approval of hiring a local engineering firm to continue work on a wastewater treatment partnership with the city of East Grand Forks.
The Grand Forks/East Grand Forks Wastewater Interconnect Project would have the city of Grand Forks providing wastewater treatment services to the city of East Grand Forks.
The Grand Forks Council's Service/Safety Committee recommended Tuesday hiring Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services Inc. (AE2S) to pursue a final cost of services agreement, develop a rate East Grand Forks would pay to Grand Forks for the wastewater service and assist in developing an intergovernmental agreement between the two cities for the project.
Grand Forks City Administrator Todd Feland said city leaders hope to have a final agreement done by the end of this year, with construction for interconnect starting next year.
The wastewater interconnect will tentatively be completed in late 2016 or early 2017, Feland said.
In the committee recommendation Tuesday, the city of Grand Forks with split with East Grand Forks costs of AE2S's work, which is not to exceed $27,530.
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Old cost estimates for the interconnect project put a $9.7 million price tag on construction and show an estimated $516,185 cost of service, but Feland said those numbers must be updated as the project moves forward.
The old data comes from previous attempts at the interconnect project. East Grand Forks City Council approved the project in 2011, but its vote was vetoed by Mayor Lynn Stauss.
The most recent work comes after East Grand Forks City Council last month unanimously approved pursuing the project.
After the Grand Forks committee's vote Tuesday, the agreement with AE2S still must receive final approval from the City Council.
"I'm confident we can work this out," council member Terry Bjerke said. "We'll all get along. It'll work."
East Grand Forks City Administrator Dave Murphy said there is enough consensus on the East Grand Forks Council to move forward with the agreement without another vote.
"We are willing to work with the city of Grand Forks," Murphy told the committee Tuesday.
