By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net
After nearly a month-long break due to scheduling, the Northfield City Council met Tuesday night for a busy meeting. One of the biggest topics on the agenda was the water treatment plant, where the council was asked to approve the final plans and advertise for bids.
You can learn more about the project below:
Previous Story: The Cost of the Water Treatment Plant
Previous Story: MN Dept. of Health Discusses the Effects of Manganese
At the meeting, it was briefly discussed whether there were any options to lower the cost of the project. Both at the meeting and in a supplemental memo, architects from Bolten & Menk noted that any major adjustments to the project would delay construction for approximately 6 months, leading to higher construction costs because of bot
At the meeting, it was briefly discussed whether there were any options to lower the cost of the project. Both at the meeting and in a supplemental memo, architects from Bolten & Menk noted that any major adjustments to the project would delay construction for approximately 6 months, leading to higher construction costs because of both inflation and the time of year construction would start. You can see the full memo on the right side of the page.
However, Councilor Davin Sokup stated that while he works to keep the city affordable, providing “Safe water to everyone is important” and a core responsibility of the city.
Two of the councilors, Jessica Peterson White and Kathleen Holmes, shared their personal stories as pregnant mothers in Northfield and concerns about drinking the city’s tap water. Peterson White, in particular, noted that it was unreasonable to ask pregnant mothers and infants to avoid drinking Northfield tap water.
“Never once as a doctor or obstetric nurse suggested to me that I should not drink tap water. Never once. Never once. That is not because they’re not doing their job. It’s because they believe that the city is responsible for providing safe drinking water to every pregnant woman in this community, not just those who can afford a reverse osmosis system. The permanent neurological impacts of the manganese in our water are well documented. We are done debating about them. There is a need for this plant.” – Councilor Jessica Peterson White at the Nov. 12th, 2024 Northfield City Council Meeting
The council unanimously approved the project, which now moves to advertising bids. The construction contracts will be approved in January, with construction starting in the spring.
