Prior Lake City Council approves water agreement with SMSC

Prior Lake American

The Prior Lake City Council approved an agreement with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community to share a new water facility near Spring Lake Park during its regular meeting Monday night. 

The two groups decided to partner in 2016 after reviewing water needs for both communities.

"Due to redundancies that must be designed into these types of facilities, there is a significant cost savings with a joint facility," a council memo said. 

The facility, estimated to be operational in mid-2019, will be able to remove iron and manganese as well as provide ground storage.

The city previously had an agreement with SMSC to purchase up to 1.2 million gallons of water per day from the community to meet water needs.

"We know we're going to need more than what our current agreement provides so there was a need to look at additional water supply," Public Works Director Jason Wedel said during the meeting.

The new agreement allows the city to purchase up to 2.2 million gallons of water per day. The rate will also increase from $1.10 to $1.54 per 1,000 gallons.

The agreement also says the city will pay for the second half of the plant when needed as the SMSC is already paying for the construction of the first half.

Additionally, in 2019, the city will extend water lines from a well infrequently used in the past to the new facility. The city will also pay for construction of two filter cells. 

The facility will cost nearly $15 million and the city's portion will be $8.7 million. Extending the water line is estimated to cost about $1 million.

The contract is indefinite, city attorney Sarah Schwarzhoff said.

"It's meant to be a long-term agreement with both parties," Schwarzhoff said.

In other action at the Nov. 20 meeting, the council:

• Bought a portion of property from Prior Lake residents for $68,400 in order to construct a bio-filtration basin for the Rolling Oaks Improvement Project. 

• Entered into a contract with Hoff & Barry to appoint Schwarzhoff as the city attorney. She's been the city attorney for the last three years with a different firm.

• Approved a resolution to increase lump sum pension payments to paid on-call firefighters from $7,200 per year of service to $8,000.

• Recognized retiring commission and committee members.