The City Council is expected to decide on several vital sewer project items during tonight’s meeting.

The council could approve about $2 million worth of projects for the Sweetwater/Hagen Pump Station tonight. The pump station work would most likely proceed in January and would provide the gateway to completing the Chemehuevi, Mockingbird and Trotwood or green areas.

“It’s a critical path process for the remaining green areas,” Interim Public Works Director Mark Clark said. “This would finish up the Sweetwater/Hagen Pump Station section of the project.”

Smaller items will also be awarded during the meeting in order to speed up construction on the sewer system, City Engineer Greg Froslie said.

“Typically it takes a much longer time to order and manufacture these products,” he said. “If we award them now, we will have them on site sooner than if we included them in the bid package (for major project elements).”

The City Council will also discuss direction on securing grant funding for the Colorado River Regional Sewer Coalition projects. Previous grant applications focused on major collection and pump station work associated with the sewer project, but Clark anticipates the work will be complete before funding is awarded in 2011.

Suggestions for projects include additional sewer areas outside of the sewer project, the Mulberry Wastewater Treatment Plant and effluent storage and line construction. Proposals are due to CRRSCo in mid-December.

“It’s possible none of these things could be awarded,” Clark said. “In the history with the project we’ve received two grants so I’m not sure on the likelihood of success but anytime you can apply for grants, you should.”

You can contact the reporter at nbruttell@havasunews.com