Title
Continued Discussion on the Ad Hoc Water Expansion Project - Nicholson Dr.
Brief Description: City Staff would like to discuss offering expanded water service to residents who live on Nicholson Dr.
Body
Legislative History
Initial discussion was held at the June 13, 2023, Council Workshop.
Follow-up discussion was held at the June 20, 2023, Council Workshop.
Purpose & Explanation
In 2022, City Council identified a desire to evaluate and update the City’s policy for expansion of the Hudson water distribution system to unserved portions of the City, and to identify possible methods to pay for the expansion of the system. As a result, an Ad Hoc Water Expansion Committee, which included both City Council members and City staff, was appointed to review and update the policy.
The Ad Hoc Committee met on December 12, 2022, March 9, 2023, and May 24, 2023, to discuss the existing water system and limits, potential areas of expansion, costs associated with expansion of the water system and how to gauge resident interest in expanding the water system to those unserved neighborhoods.
The Ad Hoc Committee has prioritized a list of five (5) neighborhoods to be first evaluated, established a possible funding structure for the improvements and created a draft public outreach program to gather resident input.
The five neighborhood areas were:
Area 1 - Londonairy Blvd, Bridgewater Blvd, Bersham Dr, Oldham Way Neighborhoods
Area 2 (Towbridge Drive, Port Chester Dr, Cheshire Dr, Wilshire Park Dr. Neighborhoods)
Area 3 (Sunset Dr, Barlow Rd, Carriage Hill Dr, Argyle Dr, Arbutus Dr Neighborhood)
Area 4 (Pinebrook Dr, Elmcrest Dr Neighborhoods)
Area 5 (Nicholson Drive, Williamsburg Cir, Independence Dr Neighborhoods)
The areas were chosen due to their proximity to our Hudson Water System Well Field, or previous public improvement expansion petition requests for the neighborhoods and the proximity of the neighborhood to our existing Hudson water distribution system.
The Committee also identified that splitting the cost between the City and Residents, at a 25/75 split, was a reasonable approach.
The Committee identified that using the City's existing Public Improvements Petition, detailed in Codified Ordinance 1018.04 Special Assessment Petitions, would be the best way to secure neighborhood commitments to the project. The Special Assessment Petition requires 60% of the residents who front the waterline project to legally sign a petition which will then be reviewed and approved by City Council prior to the project’s detailed design and construction proceeding.
City Council agreed with the approach at the June 20th, 2023 Council Workshop and City Staff set up public meetings and petitioned Areas 1 through 4 on their desire to extend water service. None of the areas met the 60% approval requirement.
Area 5 was put on hold because the City had received $959,752 in FY24 Community Planning Funds for Nicholson Dr. and was working on additional funding. At this time the City has exhausted efforts for additional funding and would like permission to petition the residents on Nicholson Dr. on their desire to extend City of Hudson Water.
This petition would be for Nicholson Dr. only and would include the grant awarded to the City and the 25/75 cost split previously offered to Areas 1-4.
The public input sessions would be scheduled for later this summer and if approved construction would then take place in 2026. If the project is not approved City Staff would look at getting approval from the EPA to use the grant funds on other water projects.
Fiscal Impact
Currently Budgeted
Supplemental Appropriation Required
Appropriation Not Required.
Recommendation
Suggested Action
Staff recommends council discussion on the above information and provide guidance to staff on the next steps of this project.
Submitted by,
Thomas J. Sheridan, City Manager
Jeff Knoblauch, Asst. City Manager - Finance Director
Brian Griffith, Director - Asst. City Manager
Kevin Powell, Public Works Director
Bradley Kosco, P.E., P.S., City Engineer