Jackson aldermen updated on wastewater facility project

The Jackson mayor and Board of Aldermen heard various reports at its Monday, July 15, meeting, including on a wastewater project and new businesses in town.

Ed Sewing presented on the Jackson Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements Project, which is funded on state bonds through loans on the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Voters approved a $10.1 million bond issue for the project in November 2022.

Located at the confluence of Goose Creek and Hubble Creek, the city’s wastewater treatment facility has not seen a major upgrade in decades.

“There’s been several improvements made to the plant over the past 20 years, but this will be the first major rehabilitation or overhaul for the plant since the 1980s,” Sewing said.

Eight individual projects make up the overall improvements — a headworks improvement, influent lift station rehabilitation, oxidation ditch upgrades, clarifiers rehabilitation, biosolids upgrades, a new administration building, a SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system and a water line extension.

All these projects will be included in a single bid, Sewing said. He added an environmental impact study found no faults with the plan.

“Basically, it was found that there were no environmental impacts identified or mitigation required,” he said. “There were no historical or archaeological sites identified. No tree removal or impact that effected endangered species in the area. No streams, wetlands or waterways of the United States were impacted.”

The next step would be to submit the evening’s meeting minutes to the Missouri DNR and have the plans ready for bid submission, likely within the next 30 days.

Retail expansion

Janna Clifton, the retail and membership director of the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce, provided an update on some of the city’s newest retail developments and described what the chamber had been working on since she began her role in December 2023.

Several new businesses have set up shop in Jackson, she said, including new chamber members Cheesecake Ninja, Harper James Boutique and Tee’ED Off. Businesses opening in the near future include Hubble Creek Brewery and Sam’s Fine Jewelry, the latter of which is opening in the city because its owners liked Jackson after participating in Oktoberfest festivities there.

“I like sharing that because that’s why we do the events. You never know who’s going to fall in love with Jackson and what’s going to happen from that,” Clifton said.

Clifton also announced the city’s sales tax revenue had seen a more than 10% increase over the previous year.

Other business

* The aldermen set a public hearing for 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19, to consider the proposed 2024 Parks and Recreation, General Revenue, Cemetery and Band tax rates.

* They also agreed to a bill proposing an ordinance for a Transportation Alternatives Fund Program Agreement with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission relative to the Jackson Middle School Crosswalk and Sidewalk Improvements Program.