The Locust/Colton combined sewer elimination project will continue at its accelerated pace thanks to the Bloomington City Council committing $3.8 million in additional funding to the project. That will allow phases four and five to begin construction this year at a cost of $10.8 million.
Funding is from a combination of American Rescue Plan Act funds; sanitary sewer, storm water, and water enterprise funds; and the general fund.
The Locust/Colton project covers a large drainage area. Phases four and five are in the general vicinity of East Oakland Avenue and South Mercer Avenue which is southeast of the immediate Locust/Colton area. Land drains from the southeast to the northwest in this part of Bloomington towards Sugar Creek.
Removing combined sewers by separating the sanitary and storm water sewers reduces the chance of sewage backing up into people’s homes as was experienced by residents in this area in June 2021.
According to the June 12 staff report to city council Bloomington’s sewer system operates Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) outlets near the intersection of Locust Street and Colton Avenue under a permit from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. The permit includes a Long-Term Control Plan to eliminate the associated CSO.
The staff report also says the project includes building new sanitary sewer and storm sewer lines to separate the storm and sanitary flows. New water mains will be installed. The pavement will be resurfaced. Intermittent curb and gutter repair and sidewalk repair will be constructed in areas where the utility trenches disturb existing sidewalk and curb and gutter.
The engineer’s estimate and subsequent budget for the project was $7 million. But when the only bid came in for the project it was for $10.8 million.
Staff then came back to the council asking for enough additional funding to do $8.4 million of the work leaving some of the planned work incomplete.
But some citizens felt this broke a promise the city made to them after the June 21 flood to do the work this year. Three spoke at the June 12 council meeting.
Stacy Durnku asked the council “to honor the commitment that the council made in 2021” and approve the entire bid. Without that approval the work near her driveway would not be completed in this project phase.
Bob Sampson said, “We were among many in our neighborhood suffering damage during the June 21 flood.” Samson too held the opinion that not doing all of phases four and five would fail to “live up to the commitment made by the council in the fall of 2021 to address and solve the problem in one project rather than postponing a significant portion” until 2026 at the earliest.
Darlene Weber said, “We had tremendous flooding at that time (referring to 2021). “And if the promised sewer and road repairs are not done now it will cost more two years in the future,” said Weber. She appealed to the council to include the remaining streets in the present project.
Council had heard from the community before the meeting. Council too wanted to proceed with doing all of phases four and five. Discussions had occurred between council and staff previous to the meeting. And now council was ready to act.
Council member John Danenberger said, “To make good on the promise that the city council made to the residents of Eastgate I think I would just like to make the motion that city council approve” constructing all of phases four and five. The motion passed unanimously.
Public Works Director Kevin Kothe said, “We are going to move forward with this thing and we have got a public open house meeting scheduled for June 29th which is a Thursday from five to seven and it is going to be at the Government Center on the third floor in a meeting room and the people that are part of the project area are welcome to come.”
