Meanwhile, Freeborn was dealing with its own water problems. USDA standards have become stricter recently, making it difficult for the city to meet requirements with their current water setup.
The possibility that Hartland and Freeborn could share the costs of the facility currently under construction was brought up in discussion. After some research, it was determined the USDA would support a joint venture between the two cities. Financially, this was an important consideration due to the fact the USDA has financing available to the communities to use for the treatment facility. After all was said and done, the two cities were on track to join forces and provide better water quality to not just Hartland, but Freeborn as well. The next step was to make it official.
At the concurrent city council meetings, they did just that. Freeborn Mayor Theo Beckmann and Hartland Mayor Kelly Routh signed resolutions to adopt a Joint Powers Water and Distribution Board, as well as an agreement detailing the purpose and responsibilities of said board. This contract will be valid for 40 years and states the following, in summary:
• Each city will own and operate the facility
• Each city will maintain its own records showing revenue collected
• Each city will adopt a water use ordinance
• Each city will impose and collect water charges to produce revenue to pay for the cost of the facility and water system, in an amount sufficient to pay the annual principal and interest requirements that each city’s bond requires
• Each city must employ a Class “C” operator to handle emergencies regarding the facility
• In the event that the revenue produced by either city to cover the costs of the treatment plant and related structures is not adequate, said party will levy a tax in an amount necessary to meet the cost
The board is being established for the purposes of continued management of the facility and the aforementioned agreement. Council members and citizens alike will be eligible to serve on the board, as appointed by the City Councils.
The ownership of the facility will be equally shared, as well as the maintenance costs. Each city’s water use will be metered, and the entities will only pay for the water that they use. The bonds each city is obligated to will remain with the respective communities until they are reconciled. Also, Hartland and Freeborn will cover the cost of their own respective water mains and the installation of water meters within their cities.
According to an article in the Albert Lea Tribune, Hartland received a $1.25 million USDA Rural Development grant, as well as a $1.23 million Rural Development loan to offset the cost of the facility. Freeborn was granted $1.4 million and loaned $1.18 million through the same program. Freeborn also received $630,000 in Small Cities Development funding to be used for the project.
The Hartland portion of the project will be finished in October 2013, with Freeborn’s end date being sometime in 2014.
In addition to the facility currently being built, Hartland will install a new water tower next year. This is a completely separate project, but will add value to the new structure they are currently building. The next couple years should be interesting, with some big projects for these small cities.
