By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net
On Tuesday night, the Northfield City Council was once again presented with the question of what to do about the water treatment plant project. Testing of city wells in 2019 and 2020 had found that there were dangerous levels of manganese in the water for infants and pregnant mothers.
Previously, the council rejected the plan on a 4 to 3 vote on January 21st due to a rapid increase in costs. In October of last year, the total project cost was projected at $55 million. When it came before the council in January, the price was $83 million. The cost was going to be paid for via residents’ water bills. To pay for the plant, the average water bill in the city would have seen a $46 a month increase. Several members of the council has since expressed interest in the Water Treatment Plant if the cost were lower, and since City Staff has worked to bring forward alternatives to lower the price.
View the city’s water study report here (Page 19)
Jan. 21st City Council Vote
In Favor of the Project: Councilors Jessica Peterson-White, Kathleen Holmes, and Davin Sokup
Against the Project: Mayor Erica Zweifel, and Councilors Brad Ness, Chad Beumer, and Peter Dahlen.
The latest proposal discussed Tuesday night was to apply for money for the bonding bill from the State Legislature. The city has in the past received bonding dollars from the state for the Depot/Transit Hub and the Mill Towns State Trail. Included in the plan would have been only a gravity plant, not the reverse osmosis system. This means that manganese would be removed from the water, but it would not future-proof the city from issues like PFAS and would not soften all of the city’s water. The estimated cost for this plant is $64 million. The city would seek from the state a 50/50 cost split.
City Engineer and Public Works Director Dave Bennett stated that, based on inflation estimates, he was confident in this cost estimate:
“I feel that this is going to be near a $60 million project as a gravity plant. We could do some value engineering to see if there are a few million-dollar items to try to find in terms of savings. But I feel like you know the number is going to be north of $50 million to build a water treatment plant. That’s truly where the cost is from the From the last exercise of the value engineering.” – Dave Bennett, Northfield Public Works Director at the 6/3/2025 City Council Meeting
Previous Stories:
Article (10/10/2024): City Provides More Details About Water Treatment Plant
Article (11/14/2024): City Council Approves Water Treatment Plant
Article & Podcast (1/21/2025): A Summary of the Water Treatment Plant Project; Northfield City Council Set To Approve Construction Bids Tonight
Podcast (1/22/2025): A Recap of the Northfield City Council Rejection of Construction Contracts for the Water Treatment Plant
Podcast (2/11/2025): Logan Wells Explains the Drinking Water Treatment Plant situation
Article (2/14/2025): Future of the Water Treatment Plant Uncertain: City Council Set To Vote On Plans At Future Meeting
Article (3/18/2025): Water Treatment Plant Federal Funds To Be Redirected at Tonight’s City Council Meeting
Bennett and other city staff expressed concerns that if the Council were to approve the application and receive state aid, but later back out of the project, it could hurt the city’s reputation and chance for future aid dollars:
“In terms of ramifications, that I mean it could certainly hurt our future potential bonding requests and receiving dollars for future projects.” – Dave Bennett, Northfield Public Works Director at the 6/3/2025 City Council Meeting
Several councilors inquired about the city’s chances of receiving the funds. City Administrator Ben Martig noted that the size of the request would make it challenging to secure all the funds from the state. He compared the NCRC building, which the city is also looking for funds from the state:
“They’re looking at very big numbers [the state legislature]. If we have the NCRC building, where we’re asking for $2.5 million, it’s a lot easier to sneak in a small project like that to help spread the wealth for the two-thirds majority that you need in the House and the Senate to get a project like that done. When the number is up to the $30 million range, that’s a lot bigger number, though even on the big pie that they [the state] have of maybe a $700 million bonding bill.” – Ben Martig, City Administrator of Northfield at the 6/3/2025 City Council Meeting
Councilors Brad Ness and Chad Beumer both expressed concern with the odds of receiving state funding, with Beumer concerned that they would not receive the full 50% match.
Picture by Logan Wells/KYMN News
Picture by Logan Wells/KYMN News
“I think there’s too big of a risk in signing on for a project of that magnitude, hoping that we’re going to get $32 million and then only receive $8 million and then have to ask the citizens to pay for the rest of it.” – Chad Beumer, Northfield City Council at the 6/3/2025 City Council Meeting
Mayor Erica Zweifel stated that she was conflicted about the issue:
“I am feeling the need to pause to get feedback. To gather ourselves, to gather our staff together, to prepare costs and see what happens with tariffs, I just feel at this level of uncertainty.” – Erica Zweifel, Northfield Mayor at the 6/3/2025 City Council Meeting
While Councilors Davin Sokup and Kathleen Holmes were both in favor of applying for the funds, with Holmes stating that you “miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” With a majority of the council against the application, both Sokup and Holmes said it was unrealistic to continue down this path with the project:
Picture by: Logan Wells/KYMN News
Picture by: Logan Wells/KYMN News
“I just hope that in 2027, whoever is here on Council by June of 2027, that we can potentially have another project to maybe move forward and get state bonding.” – Kathleen Holmes, Northfield City Councilor at the 6/3/2025 City Council Meeting
Sokup agreed, stating he would not ask Northfield’s state legislators to advocate for a project that the council was not fully supportive of:
“I think it’s a huge ask of our legislators, and I’d much rather ask them to focus on other projects that have the support of the Council.” – Davin Sokup, Northfield City Councilor at the 6/3/2025 City Council Meeting
The council ultimately rejected the state bonding application unanimously. Councilor Jessica Peterson White was absent from the meeting.
Staff had brought forward an interim proposal that would install a reverse osmosis water fill station at the Northfield Community Resource Center (NCRC) and Northfield Community Education Center (NCEC). Costs and a more detailed proposal will be brought forward at the council’s work session meeting on Tuesday.
Will keep you posted with the details as they happen
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