Could an alternate wastewater treatment plant site be in store for Milton?
City Council moves forward on effluent disposal site testing on two properties
In a special meeting held by the Milton City Council on Saturday, June 22, the members voted unanimously to move forward with the expenditure authorization for soil testing on two parcels of vacant land. The two subject properties are owned by Jacquelyn Sue Ates Burgess and Robert D. Burgess.
Subject property #1 is 116.55 acres and straddles a portion of Jeff Ates Road and is under contract for $786,712. Subject property #2 is 77.24 acres, south of Jeff Ates Road and is under contract for $521,370. The contract gives the city 120 days to complete environmental assessments needed to determine if the land is suitable for effluent disposal. The contract was signed June 13, 2023.
Civil engineering firm, Baskerville Donovan will complete the scope of services on the land which includes Geotech surveys, wetlands delineation, cultural resource survey and other services.
The intent of the special meeting was to authorize the expenditure of the soil testing, but those opposed to the new wastewater treatment plant and RIBs site near the Blackwater River were hopeful this future site could replace the existing site.
Pam Mitchell, an opponent of the wastewater treatment plant site near the Blackwater River, was hopeful the council could consider the subject properties for a treatment plant and effluent disposal site.
“We support what you are doing (to move forward with the land studies). This is our opportunity as a community to come together on common ground,” Mitchell said. “We are not oppositional to this today. We want to impress into the council’s mind that this is a piece of property that is large enough to where you can do the right thing by the community. You can put the whole plant and the effluent there.”
The scope of services in the motion that was passed did not include the needed analysis to determine if the land would be suitable for a treatment plant. The council said they did not want to delay the purchase of the property by changing the scope of services. Instead, the motion passed unanimously with the intent to broaden the scope of services after the purchase has been made.