The details
Beth Jones, Bellaire’s assistant city manager and city engineer, presented to City Council a work order Jan. 27 to prepare a more accurate cost assessment for two of the options on what to do with the wastewater treatment plant.
The $26,400 work order will have HDR Engineering, an engineering firm that conducted and presented a condition assessment on the city's wastewater plant to City Council in July, assess and develop refined cost estimates for the following scenarios:
- Cost for the least expensive option for a new plant: constructing a new conventional wastewater treatment plant, chemical disinfection and headworks building
- Cost for decommissioning the city’s existing plant and sending wastewater to Houston’s treatment plant: upgrading the existing influent lift station and constructing a force main to the city of Houston
In case you missed it
Bellaire residents voted in November to approve two separate bond referendums totaling $70 million to fund stormwater and wastewater projects.
One of the wastewater projects, for $30 million, includes demolishing Bellaire's current wastewater treatment plant and connecting to Houston's wastewater treatment plant.
During an Aug. 19 City Council meeting, Jones gave a presentation showing it would cost $100 million to rebuild a wastewater treatment plant, $71.5 million to rehabilitate the current plant, and $29.5 million to decommission and connect to Houston’s wastewater treatment plant.
However, residents voiced their concerns during a Dec. 9 workshop on the wastewater plant over the price of demolishing the plant and connecting it to Houston's plant, believing residents would be financially burdened by Houston’s fees.
What City Council members said
Council voted unanimously to pass the work order, with council member Ross Gordon recusing himself as he said he has a business relationship with HDR.
Mayor Gus Pappas said he believes City Council is not ready to make a decision based on information currently on the table, and that the more information the city receives, the more confident they’ll be in making the right decision.
“I think it’s important that we ultimately make a decision that’s based on much better information so that we can then say this is in fact the best course of action that's based on what would cost to replace it,” Pappas said. "What would it cost to repair it? What do we look at? Do we have another option? I think it’s worth the city spending an extra $26,000 to get the answers that we’re wanting.”
Council member Jackie Georgiou agreed with Pappas and said she doesn’t feel qualified to make any decisions until there is enough information on all the options.
“This is a big decision for this city,” Georgiou said. “I've lived here all my life, and I can tell you, I'm not really comfortable one way or the other making this decision. I don't love the idea of letting go of something, but at the same time I get it.”
