With two council members absent the Jefferson city council did not have enough assenting votes at its regular meeting Feb. 25 to approve a study of the water and sewer systems in the northwest portion of the city.
City engineer John Milligan proposed a contract for a $13,750 study by MHF Engineering to determine the current condition and capacity of the systems north of the Union Pacific railroad tracks and west of Highway 4. Milligan said that if a license is approved in June for a casino at the northwest intersection of Highways, the construction schedule would be aggressive. “It’s going to require a major expenditure of funds to provide water and sewer. I think it would be prudent to study that area and see what it’s going to take, and also take a look at possible future development. Casinos that I’ve seen generally have development around them….that needs to be looked at also. The city needs to be in a position June 12 to go.”
“The results of the study, even if they don’t go with a casino, would be important in the development of that area,” Milligan added.
The area includes sites for industrial development. According to Milligan, the current system could probably support industries with moderate water and sewer needs and meet Department of Natural Resources guidelines. If a company like a food processor moved in, the system could not handle the needs. If a casino is not built, Cobblestone Inns plans to build a 32-room hotel south of Syngenta and AAI. Aside from the industrial park, Milligan said that portion of the city is a likely location for new housing development.
Council members Larry Teeples and Harry Ahrenholtz were not at the meeting. Council members Shannon Black, Gary Von Ahsen and Lisa Jaskey spent about 20 minutes discussing the question.
Jaskey favored the study, calling it “being prudent, being prepared.” She and Black voted in favor of a motion to approve the study.
Von Ahsen voted against the motion. “We’re trying to anticipate what’s going out there. Until we know that, we can’t say what we need,” he said. “If there were some business out there that required a huge amount of water, wouldn’t you change the design at the beginning to accommodate that?”
According to attorney Bob Schwarzkopf, three votes were needed to approve the expense, not only a majority of those present.
The council agreed to discuss the matter again at the March 11 meeting.
City administrator Mike Palmer said after the meeting that if a casino is built, estimated cost of water and sewer improvements is about $1.2 million. The casino would not receive any property tax abatements, adding considerable value to the tax base as soon as it’s built. Palmer said the increased taxes would easily cover the cost of the improvements.
