The Jefferson County Public Sewer District recently sent a letter of interest to Festus and Crystal City officials offering a total of $5 million to buy their respective sewer collection systems and the treatment plant the two cities share.
A written statement from the Jefferson County Public Sewer District and the two cities said the Public Sewer District would compensate both cities for the infrastructure they maintain and would take over the operations and maintenance if the sale were approved.
“We are proud of our track record, fixing broken systems and getting them back on track,” said Doug Bjornstad, the Public Sewer District manager and engineer.
The specifics of how the $5 million would be divided are to be determined, Festus City Administrator Greg Camp said.
The Festus-Crystal City wastewater treatment plant on County Road in Crystal City is 20 years old.
The Festus-Crystal City Sewer Commission has been working toward improving the plant, but keeping up with federal sewage system regulations is a struggle, said Matt Unrein, the commission chair.
“We have been working hard these last few years to modernize the facility, but the regulations just keep changing,” he said.
Unrein said the Public Sewer District approached Festus and Crystal City officials about the possible sale.
Bjornstad said acquiring the Crystal City and Festus systems is part of the Public Sewer District’s overall goal of expanding its reach and providing better sewer systems to those who want them.
“It’s a regionalization of a utility,” Bjornstad said. “We want to give more access to everybody for sewers. Anytime there is regionalization, economies of scale come into play.”
He said sewer system access remains a problem for many in the county.
Bjornstad also said that the sale of the Festus and Crystal City sewer systems and plant to the sewer district would pave the way for more development in the area because the improved system would provide more capacity for homes and businesses to be added to it.
The written statement from the sewer district and cities also said the sale would not affect sewer rates, which would be capped until after 2025.
“Both cities are concerned about maintaining the same level of service to residents and keeping the sewer fees as low as possible,” said Jason Eisenbeis, city administrator for Crystal City.
If the sale were approved, Camp said, the cities could stop employing a third-party, for-profit operator to run the treatment plant because “the Jefferson County Sewer District has the qualified and professional staff to run the treatment plant.”
According to the written statement, if the sale is approved, those who work for the Festus and Crystal City sewer departments would not lose their jobs.
“All staff would be absorbed into new roles,” the statement said.
On Monday, Camp said no decisions about the sale had been made.
“It is being considered,” he said.
The entities involved will hold public informational meetings on the proposed sale, giving attendees the chance to learn about the proposal and comment on it. The meeting dates and times follow:
■ Festus-Crystal City Sewer Commission, 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 21, at the Festus Public Works Building, 950 N. Fifth St., Festus.
■ Crystal City Council, 5 p.m. Monday, June 26, at Crystal City Hall, 130 Mississippi Ave., Crystal City.
■ Festus City Council, 6 p.m. Monday, June 26, at Festus City Hall, 711 W. Main St., Festus.
■ Jefferson County Public Sewer District, 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 28, at the agency’s building, 4629 Yeager Road, Hillsboro.
Bjornstad said the Jefferson County Commission, the predecessor to the Jefferson County Council, established the Public Sewer District in 2000. Since then, the district has acquired various sewer systems around the county, including those serving the Raintree Plantation subdivision in the Hillsboro area and the sewer systems serving Byrnes Mill and House Springs.
“We cover the county where there aren’t established sewer districts or municipalities,” Bjornstad said.