FOX LAKE — The city of Fox Lake is hoping to find a new source of funds for close to $3 million in sanitary sewer projects after it was rejected for Clean Water Funds.
Fox Lake is applying for funds from the Wisconsin Small Cities Community Development Block Grant emergency assistance program. Wisconsin was allocated $75 million of federal disaster recovery funds to be used for housing and public facilities projects in communities in “declared disaster areas” from flooding in 2004 and 2008.
The grant is designated for communities with populations under 50,000, and excludes Milwaukee, Waukesha and Dane counties.
“At least we have a fighting chance,” said alderman Tom Bednarek of Fox Lake’s application.
City administrator Bill Petracek said the city has a better application for the CDBG-EAP funds than it did for money from the Clean Water fund.
“We’re hopeful,” said Petracek of the application.
The application is for more than $2.9 million in projects, including a sanitary sewer main relay from State Street to Trenton Street, to be completed during the Highway 33/Spring Street project, upgrades to seepage cells at the wastewater treatment plant, a sanitary sewer equalization basin and a sanitary sewer main relay on Rosendale.
The Department of Justice has ordered the city to build a sanitary sewer equalization basin. That project, which would cost approximately $3.6 million, includes the construction of an overflow basin, required pumps, lift stations and sewer lines, enlarging the waste water treatment plant and the rehabilitation, repair or replacement of 10,000 to 14,000 feet of sewer line.
Last month, a citizens group presented an alternative plan to the city council and is waiting to present their proposal to the Department of Justice. Petracek said that the Department of Justice told city attorney Bruce Ebert that they need to meet with the DNR first.
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