Though Hollister has met all project deadlines so far to avoid
$1 million in state fines after a sewer spill in 2002, the city is
racing to finish a $38 million wastewater plant
– the last hurdle – or it still may have to forfeit
$200,000.
Though Hollister has met all project deadlines so far to avoid $1 million in state fines after a sewer spill in 2002, the city is racing to finish a $38 million wastewater plant – the last hurdle – or it still may have to forfeit $200,000.
And city leaders say they’re not sure the high-tech plant will be finished by the Oct. 15, 2005 deadline. Mayor Tony Bruscia thinks the project’s fate depends on cooperation of weather. Interim City Manager Clint Quilter, formerly head of public works, said it’s “going to be very tight.” Other council members say they’re just not sure.
So far, Hollister has knocked off all potential fines by finishing the required water and sewer projects on time. The state’s regional water board ordered the deadlines and banned all new construction – until a higher capacity sewer plant could be built – after a 15-million gallon sewer spill in May 2002.
Since the state implemented the sanctions, the city’s budget has tightened considerably. That means the prospect of a $200,000 fine has heightened the sense of urgency to complete the plant on time.
So far, the council has approved a construction design and upped the plant’s capacity, which boosted its price by $6 million. The design by HydroScience Engineers is about half done. Meanwhile, Quilter hopes construction will start in November or December and said it should last a year to 18 months.
According to those estimates, the plant would be finished some time between November, 2005 and June, 2006. Still, Quilter said that does “not necessarily” mean the city will miss the milestone.
“We’re doing everything we possibly can to meet that deadline,” Quilter said.
Bruscia said he would rather remain cautious than promise a punctual completion of the plant.
“It’s very conceivable that if we have weather problems that it could push us into the spring of 2006,” Bruscia said.
The Regional Water Quality Control Board slapped Hollister with the suspended fines after its members blamed the city for not keeping infrastructure on par with growth.
The penalties, including a building moratorium that has crippled the local economy, came after previous warnings about the perils of rapid growth from the board and local residents.
“We’ve got to get the economy rolling here,” Councilman Robert Scattini said. “It’s affecting people’s lives. It’s just a no-win situation right now.”
Six suspended fines of $200,000 each were handed down and contingent on timely completion of projects during the sewer plant’s planning and construction of the new plant.
One Hollister City Council gadfly, Paul Grannis, continually points out at meetings that no council member has expressed confidence in the 2005 deadline.
“If that thing’s done by 2007, they’ll be lucky,” Grannis said. “You don’t turn one of these thing out in six months or a year.”
City leaders say they hope the regional water board would be sympathetic if Hollister misses the deadline. But the board has a recent track record of being strict with Hollister.
After chastising city officials at a meeting before handing down those penalties in 2002, the board doubled the suspended fines from its staff’s original proposal of $600,000. And in February of this year, the board denied the city’s request to provide plumbing to two projects affecting public health – Fire Station No. 2 and a surgical center at Hazel Hawkins Hospital.
The water board staff member overseeing Hollister wastewater progress, Matthew Keeling, did not return phone calls placed to his office this week.
“I certainly hope the regional water quality control board accepts and acknowledges we’ve met our deadlines (so far),” Bruscia said. “We’ve been working with the different constituents. We’re trying to be good neighbors and do the right thing.”
