Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Legal Department

 

TO:

David L. Corliss, City Manager

 

FROM:

Toni Ramirez Wheeler, Director

R. Scott Wagner, Management Analyst

Mike Lawless, Asst. Director – Dept. of Utilities

 

CC:

Cynthia Boecker, Asst. City Manager

Diane Stoddard, Asst. City Manager

Jonathan Douglas, Asst. to the City Manager

 

Date:

December 19, 2009

 

RE:

Pump Station 25 Improvements

 

 

 

Project Information

 

The 2003 Wastewater Master Plan identified improvements required to Pump Station PS25 which is located in the East Hills Business Park.  The system upgrades are to provide expanded sanitary sewer capacity to the areas east of O’Connell Road and north and south of K10/23rd Street including the East Hills Business Park and the former Farmland property. These improvements include expanding the firm pumping capacity of PS25 from 0.97 MGD to 6.0 MGD and the construction of parallel forcemains. The improvements also provide for reliability and safety enhancements to the pump station. The project is included in the Department of Utilities Capital Improvements Plan and is scheduled to be completed in 2009. The additional capacity of PS25 will work in conjunction with the new Pump Station 49, which is currently completing construction as part of a county benefit district to provide current, and future, areas of the City southeast of 23rd Street and O’Connell Road sanitary sewer service. PS49 will initially collect flows and pump them north to PS25 which discharges to the existing Kaw Wastewater Treatment Plant.

 

The project team of Burns & McDonnell/BG Consultants has identified a small 4.0 acre parcel directly adjacent to the existing PS25 which is suitable to construct the expanded station.  The site is also adjacent to the former Farmland Industries property (see attached map – tract is owned by the Emergent Corporation).  Environmental testing and site analysis confirmed the suitability of this tract to construct the station.

 

The project team also performed a cursory review of areas adjacent to the Emergent Corp. property on the Farmland Industries tract.  However, the design team does not recommend siting of the pump station on the Farmland property due to the following concerns:

 

 

Ø      The site is adjacent to one of the oldest lagoons used for environmental remediation and there is very little information available about this lagoon storage area.

Ø      It is unclear whether KDHE would allow siting of the pump station near the lagoons.  It is likely that materials from other lagoons (heavy metals, etc) may have migrated into this cell as well. Certainly further testing and inquiry would be required to confirm these conditions.

Ø       If KDHE would allow it, the cost implications would be significant.  Excavated materials would have to be removed off site to at least a landfill, but very likely a hazardous materials landfill.

 

Utilities staff and the design team have recommend acquisition of the Emergent Corp. property for construction of PS25.  City legal staff coordinated an appraisal of the site by Aul & Hatfield Appraisals, and made an offer of acquisition to the property owners based on the appraised value in October 2008.  The property owners have refused to respond to the City’s written offer.  Staff recommends initiation of eminent domain proceedings to acquire the parcel.

 

Action Requested

Adopt Resolution 6818 authorizing condemnation and a survey of the property interests to be acquired.