The city of Garnett may start construction on a new water plant at Crystal Lake sooner than expected. The state returned it’s preliminary report on the project sooner than anticipated. Some of the question they have been given to the city’s engineering firm to be answered and because of the sooner than expected return, the project may be able to be moved ahead three years from the initial timetable.
City Manager Chris Weiner says his hope is that they will have full approval by Christmas and a full plan of design complete by May, which means the plant could be put out to bid in June or July. City commissioners approved a water rate hike in April of 2018 designed to start accumulating funds to cover initial expenses on the plant’s construction.
Weiner says that cultural impact survey from the Osage Nation Indian Tribe had not been received and that had force the city to miss a deadline for applications for a community development block grant and bids could not be submitted again until 2021. He added that waiting an extra year could lead to higher costs. However, the city could use accrued funds to pay initial costs and then apply later for the block grant.
