Updated Mar 15, 2023

Meeting Announcement and comments – posted at Brown County Matters

Audio of the meeting

Brown County Regional Sewer District (BCRSD) Board Meeting Notes, Tues Mar 14, 2023. Location Jackson VFD – Helmsburg.

Next Joint Meeting with Helmsburg RSD –  28 March  2023, 6:00 p.m. Brown County Community Foundation – lower level.

Applications for Funding (Preliminary Engineering Reports (PERs). Both boards are expecting that their PERs will be completed by the Mar 28 meeting and be ready to submit for review to approval authorities.  Funding sources include the State Revolving Fund and USDA. The PERs provide include the “documented justification” for the projects.  May also include Letters of Support.  Another source of funds may be the Bilateral Infrastructure Funds.

• • A Public Hearing is required to present the PERs are required.  Dates TBD.  The foundation for the PERs is provided in the Brown County Wastewater Strategic Plan and Water Study that the BCRSD has refused to present at a public meeting.  These plans are available on their website.  Any questions can be asked at the public hearing on the PERs.
  • This BCRSD PER should include the documentation supporting the allegations and speculation regarding septic system failures, water quality, and adequacy of soils.
  • The SRF may not question the evidence that supports the justification of need but this may not be the case at the federal level.

Attendees. About 9 people from Lake Lemon attended the meeting.   Lake Lemon residents have been the most supportive of obtaining sewer service.

Community Awareness. BCRSD expects to place ads in the Democrat to raise awareness of their plans and website.

Needed Shift in Priorities.  The number one priority for the BCRSD was building a new sewer plant in Bean Blossom.  The PER for this project was submitted in 2018 and approved by the SRF. The project was considered a high priority.  The BCRSD requested that this project be kept on the priority list.

When the BCRSD failed to acquire land for a plant in Bean Blossom (the purpose for the 2018 PER), the scope of the project changed significantly. In addition to the Bean Blossom area, Helmsburg and areas west to Lake Lemon are now (not in 2018) included in the scope of this first phase.  The Helmsburg and the Lake Lemon areas have valid needs and the support of current and new customers.

Timeline.  Review by funding sources generally takes 30-90 days.  Feedback is expected around mid-summer and a formal commitment later in the year.   Construction cannot begin until 85% of needed easements are acquired (Per BLN contractor).  Not sure if this 85% is a state and/or federal standard.