BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The City of Bloomfield took another step toward renovating the town's ailing water and sewer system at Monday night's meeting of the Bloomfield Board of Aldermen.
The board, after meeting with individuals from Smith & Co., voted unanimously to hire the firm to handle the engineering responsibilities for the pending water/sewer construction renovation.
After meeting with Smith & Co. during a recent special meeting, it was determined that a bond issue might be the smartest direction for the city to pursue, Mayor Donna Medlin explained.
On Jan. 23, the Aldermen held a town hall meeting at the Bloomfield Elementary School cafeteria in an effort to get the public more involved with the process.
A survey was distributed prior to the meeting to allow the city to attempt to gauge Public opinion on how it should be handled.
The survey questioned whether they should attempt to renovate water and sewer together, separate or neither. It also questioned whether the board should seek private financing, attempt to pass a bond issue or wait for grant funding.
The downfall, they explained, is that grant funding is virtually non-existent right now.
While private financing seemed to be the board's original preference due to the expediency with which it can be handled, in recent weeks they seemed to have developed an interest in the bond process.
Greg Bell, a project manager for Smith & Co., explained Monday night that while bond issues can be difficult to pass, financially they make the most sense for the city.
"We're sort of cutting our own throat by not using a bond," Bell said.
The difference for the end consumer between private financing and a bond issue, according to Bell, is approximately $10 per month on the water bill.
The difficulty with a bond issue lies in the fact that it has to be approved by the voters--which is often a challenge.
In this instance, Bell believes that a bond issue could save the city as much as $2 million on the project, lowering the cost from $8 million to $6 million.
"What I hope is that the public understands you might save $2 million overall by going with a bond issue over private financing," Medlin said. "We're going to have to make a decision and we would love to have the peoples' help, but if you don't come to the meeting, we wont have your input."
Bill Robison, a specialist in Communications and Client Relations with Smith & Co., explained that the "do nothing" option is really "not viable" in Bloomfield.
"Ultimately, something is going to have to be done," he said. "There is an opportunity for the community to become engaged, but if they choose not to, then [the city] will have to go it alone."
A total of 41 people attended the first town hall meeting. That's a number city officials hope to see much higher at the next scheduled meeting.
The board will make one more attempt to address the public, but logistical problems kept them from scheduling a meeting at the Monday meeting.
On hand when for the next meeting will be Mayor Medlin, the Board of Aldermen, Water/Street Superintendent Justin Bell, representatives from Smith & Co., as well as municipal bond counselors who can explain the bond issue process.
"We're going to do this. We just don't know which way we're going to get the money yet," said north ward Alderman Tonya Roper.
If the board opts to attempt to pass a bond issue, they would have until May 27, 2014, to approve the official language and turn it in to Stoddard County Clerk Joe Watson for inclusion on the Aug. 5 ballot.
For more information on the next meeting or to speak with someone regarding the process, call Bloomfield City Hall at 568-3464.
cnoles@dailystatesman.com