City of Austin to receive $14.5 million in state bonding dollars toward wastewater treatment facility renovation and expansion project

The city of Austin received welcome news this week when it was announced that the city will receive $14.5 million of a $20 million request in bonding dollars to put towards the city’s approximately $105 million wastewater treatment facility renovation and expansion project with the approval of a $1.5 billion bonding bill before the end of the legislative session Monday evening.  KAUS News spoke with City Administrator Craig Clark, who stated that the funding will help the city drop user fees for its citizens and the wastewater treatment plant that they have to pay…

Clark went on to state that time was of the essence concerning a partnership between the city and the state with the cost of the project continuing to increase due to inflation…

Clark was also asked if the city will be requesting the remaining $5.5 million or other amount in bonding dollars toward the project for the next legislative session…

Other local projects that will receive funding include $2 million in state funding for the first phase of the city of Albert Lea’s new wastewater treatment plant project, in addition to $9 million for the Shell Rock River Watershed District for sediment removal and cleanup of Fountain Lake.