Council debates wastewater
By PENNY RATHBUN
CELINA RECORD

October 27, 2006-One of the byproducts of a city's growth is more sewage. The Celina City Council spent the better part of a specially called meeting this week considering the problem of how to handle wastewater treatment for the city Celina will become.

The City of Celina commissioned Gary C. Hendricks, an engineer with Birkhoff, Hendricks and Conway LLP to do a study on the various options for handling wastewater.

Option 1 is to build another sewer plant. Option 2 is to contract with Upper Trinity Regional Water District to handle wastewater. Option 3 is to build a lift station at Parvin Road and pump wastewater to the North Texas Municipal Water District and option 4 is to expand the existing sewer plant.

Council consensus was that one of the first two options would be the best for Celina, to build another sewer plant or contract with Upper Trinity to handle wastewater.

Whichever option the city settles on for wastewater treatment and conveyance, City Administrator Scott Albert's goal is to get developers to pay for it along with whatever grant funding the city can acquire.

The council approved $62,500 to enter into a study being headed by the Upper Trinity Regional Water District to determine whether to construct a Doe Branch wastewater plant or to expand another UTRWD wastewater treatment plant. Paying the other three-fourths of that study is Upper Trinity, Mustang water district and Freshwater Supply District No. 10.

The council also considered a contract for regional sewer service with Upper Trinity. The decision on that contract will be on the agenda for the November council meeting.

The council is considering how to handle wastewater now because the master comprehensive plan for the city shows 67,000 people living in the Doe Branch area when Celina is fully built out.

In other matters the council approved the annexation of Preston Meadows, Eagle Country, Oxford Farms, Preston Hills I, Preston Hills II and Preston Hills III. They set public hearing dates for the annexation on Nov. 13 and 14. The council will consider an annexation ordinance at the December meeting and likely approve annexation in January as per the agreement set up with Preston Hills residents nearly a year ago.

The council also approved an amendment to Alan Plummer Associates, Inc. agreement for engineering services and a budget amendment for the purchase of public works and parks vehicles.