ITHACA, N.Y. — The Common Council will vote Wednesday to spend $171,420 on consultant services to plan for an upcoming multi-million investment into the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility.
It’s the City of Ithaca’s share of a $300,000 bill that will pay for consultants to plan out what officials previously estimated could be around $40 million in infrastructure improvements to the 38-year old facility.
The rest of that $300,000 will come from the Town of Dryden, and the Town of Ithaca, which are both co-owners of the plant with the City of Ithaca.
The wastewater plant’s seven-member oversight committee, known as the Special Joint Committee, recommended the mulit-disciplinary consulting firm Barton & Loguidice to develop an infrastructure improvements plan.
Barton & Loguidice,which has offices across five states in the North East and Mid-Atlantic, has agreed to help the city apply for a grant through the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority, according to Scott Gibson, the city’s assistant Superintendent of Water & Sewer.
The grant could cover $150,000 of the cost for Barton & Laguidice’s services. The savings would be shared between the three owners of the plant. The $171,420 bill on Wednesday’s agenda does not reflect the potential savings, should the application be successful.
Gibson previously told the council on May 22 that the city will need outside expertise to review the wastewater facility and plan for the capital improvement projects. He said the city did not have the “in-house expertise to manage” the project.
Day-to-day operations in the water treatment facility have been also administered the Camden Group, a private contractor. The company is not affiliated with Barton & Loguidice.
Council appears poised to improve paying for the consultant work. The vote appears on the council’s consent agenda, which means that the item will be voted on concurrently with a group of other agenda items. The consent agenda is often voted on with little to no discussion.
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