Blue Springs to vote on money for sewer improvements in April 7 election
Blue Springs residents are voting in the Tuesday, April 7, election on whether the city should use $65 million in combined water and sewer system revenue bonds to fund federally mandated improvements to the Sni-A-Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is also shared with Grain Valley.
The plant was built in 1988 and is located at 4600 S. Seymour Road in Grain Valley. The ballot issue comes after Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe vetoed parts of a bill in June that included $12 million in funds for improvements to the joint-owned wastewater treatment facility.
The city of Blue Springs says these improvements are required to bring the plant into compliance with new environmental standards by 2030, which were set by state and federal regulators.
If residents vote “yes,” it will allow the city to access Clean Water State Revolving Funds financing, which they say offers a subsidized interest rate for system improvements. It’ll allow the city to use revenue collected from water and sewer bills to pay back the bonds.
The city says the passage of the bond issue will keep rates as low as possible when the infrastructure upgrades require rate adjustments. It’s unclear if rates will increase or how much they will increase if “yes” receives the majority of votes.
If residents vote “no,” the city says improvements will occur regardless, but that residents will see higher water and sewer rates, along with higher interest rates on traditional financing, increasing the project’s cost. A “no” vote could also delay or eliminate other infrastructure projects due to funding constraints, the city says.
The city could also face fines of up to $10,000 per day if they’re found to be out of compliance with environmental regulations, like the Clean Water Act.
