The city’s been anticipating what councilors call a “historic” investment in downtown sewer infrastructure, and it may use bonds to pay for it.
At Tuesday’s city council meeting, the city’s expected to begin the process of taking out bonds. It won’t actually finalize those bonds until after public hearings on March 15. Tuesday’s vote is a formality that effectively begins the bonding process.
The public hearings are required by state law, but the public won’t vote on the actual issuing of the bonds. As revenue bonds, the city can issue them independently.
The project is to replace deteriorating sewer lines in the Old Town area. Over several phases, the city estimates it could eventually cost north of $80 million.
“We won’t know what the actual cost is until we actually bid the entire project out, which will take place probably in late March or early April,” says Matt Brower, Heber City manager, about the first phase. “We hope it will be less than about $30 million, but we won’t know until we actually bid this thing out.”
Also during the meeting, the council, city planning commission and city staff will discuss updates to the general plan. Changes include creating more single-family housing zones within city limits.
“The code changes will not impact current homes, current property,” Brower says. “Those uses are already established, and the city would not look to change those uses. What would change is potential new projects and the types of uses they would be afforded or the types of houses that they would want.”
The meeting’s at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Heber City Hall, 75 North Main Street. To attend via Zoom, visit heberut.gov.
