dbryce@journalnet.com

AMERICAN FALLS - City officials are pursuing a second attempt at getting voters to approve a $14 million bond to upgrade the community's aging water and sewer system.

On Nov. 4, voters rejected two separate bonds to fund upgrades at the wastewater treatment plant and to repair lines on the municipal water system.

Wastewater Superintendent Pete Cortez said a community advisory board was formed before scheduling a second bond vote.

"We're going to allow them to go through the same process we did," Cortez said. "We believe they will come to the same conclusion that we did."

The board will meet weekly beginning in December.

Cortez said the current system was built in the 1960s and upgraded in 1980 and 1990.

Prior to the Nov. 4 bond vote, Cortez said four open house meetings were held; public comment was also heard during two City Council meetings.

The 1,100 households in American Falls paid $40 a month for service, until Oct. 1, when that amount was increased by $20.

The proposed city water and sewer project would be financed exclusively by fees.

However, Mayor Amy Wynn said last August the city would also seek out grants to offset the cost of upgrading the city's sewer and water systems.

Cortez said the existing treatment plant has a maximum capacity of 600,000 gallons of effluent waste each day - presently, the treatment plant is processing 500,000 gallons of waste water daily.

The present system also requires constant repair, and parts for the aging treatment plant are no longer being manufactured, he said.

Planning and Zoning Administrator Jeff Nelson said the upgrades are crucial to long-term development in the city.

Nelson said the timing was bad for the bond in November.

"With the current economy and going into winter when, for most of us, expenses go up, it was a bad time to try to pass the bond," he said.

Making sure voters are well informed is a good place to start, Nelson said.