TOWER— The city council here unanimously approved a timber agreement with the Department of Natural Resources and a local logger that will fast track the clearing of land that is expected to be developed for a rapid infiltration basin, or RIB, to expand wastewater treatment capacity for Tower and Soudan.
The land is being cleared initially to make it possible to conduct soil borings needed to determine if the site is acceptable for the construction of a RIB, which could expand the Tower-Breitung Waste Water Board’s wastewater treatment capacity by about 50 percent, at substantially less cost than the addition of a fourth pond or other mechanical treatments. The RIB would also potentially reduce the existing discharge from the wastewater ponds to surface water, which could reduce the amount of phosphorus from the ponds entering Lake Vermilion.
The timber sale, set up by DNR forester Victoria Jari, is expected to generate a considerable amount of revenue. According to the estimates developed by Jari, the city would generate almost $37,000 in timber stumpage off of about 55 acres. About $31,000 of that would come from aspen stumpage, with balsam fir and mixed pine thinning making up most of the rest.
The logging was set to be completed by the end of August and Mayor Dave Setterberg said the loggers would begin their work on that portion slated for construction of the RIB.
Change order
authorization
In other action, the council voted to authorize the clerk-treasurer and the mayor to authorize change orders up to $75,000 related to the drinking water treatment facility. The council also noted that waste water board vice-chair Tim Tomsich and wastewater operations manager could also authorize the changes as a back-up. In either case, the council indicated that the change orders could not exceed the project’s total contingency funding. All change orders would eventually come to the council for final approval.
In other business, the council authorized spending up to $6,000 for the purchase and installation of a new commercial dishwasher for the kitchen in the civic center.