Brown County Regional Sewer District (BCRSD), Board Members: Clint Studabaker, Mike Leggins, Phil LeBlanc, Richard Hall, Matt Hanlon.  BCRSD Website

Brown County Regional Sewer District (BCRSD)- Meeting Notes, Aug 9, 2022.

o. RSD Consolidation?  The Helmsburg RSD (HRSD) Board has yet to sign a joint agreement with the BCRSD. The expectation of the BCRSD is that once this is signed, the next needed step is to consolidate boards.  At a previous meeting when I questioned having two RSDs on the same project, the answer was that this was an acceptable practice in the State.  Stay tuned.

o. The current project concept is for the BCRSD to be responsible for collecting the wastewater from all new customers and for the HRSD plant to process it.  Another option is for the HRSD to expand its board to include a representative from Lake Lemon and Bean Blossom. The BCRSD can be converted to an advisory committee.

o. HRSD Capabilities.  HRSD has a plant, current customers, and a new customer base at Lake Lemon whose residents support sewer service as soon as possible. The Lake Lemon conservancy consists of 520 homes. Helmsburg and Lake Lemon have valid needs. HRSD has agreed to provide sewer service to the Bean Blossom area.

o. The need in the Bean Blossom area is based on speculation and a desire by a few (including the commissioners) for service and development in the area. The BCRSD failed to acquire land for a plant in Bean Blossom (thus the need for service from HRSD) and will need approximately 190 easements from property owners. If legal action is needed to attempt to coerce residents to grant an easement through threats of eminent domain,  this will lead to delays and a probable defeat in court.

o. Background. The BCRSD was a name change from the Bean Blossom RSD. The Bean Blossom RSD was created when an agreement for service could not be worked out with Helmsburg. Bean Blossom had to expand their customer base to help justify funding. They also had to speculate as to need. The two previous presidents of the BCRSD resigned over the issue of the lack of validation as to need.

Presentation of the BCRSD Wastewater Strategy and Sep 2021 Watershed Study. The date is still To-Be-Determined (TBD).

Timeline. April 2023 is the target date for submitting an application for project funding. This requires the completion of the respective preliminary engineering reports (PERs). Both boards are now in the process of selecting contractors to develop their respective PERs and rate studies.

Contractors. The BCRSD received five responses to the RFQ. Two vendors (GRW and BLN) were identified for an interview that will be followed by a selection.  Interviews are tentatively scheduled for Aug 15, 10am to 3:00 pm timeframe.