The Petersburg Borough Assembly will weigh a few potential adjustments to the borough’s budget during their Aug. 18 meeting. The new expenses would add more than $200,000 to the budget that started in July.
The first and largest of three proposed changes is for a harbor shed roof replacement project that got delayed. The project was originally budgeted for last year, but the contractor couldn’t start the project until this fall, so it’s being carried over. If approved, the shed roof replacement would add $180,000 to the budget.
The second new expense would fund a dam break study at the Crystal Lake Dam, which is part of the Blind Slough hydroelectric plant. The study would include modeling, mapping and calculating the dam’s hazard potential.
The most recent study, done in 1985, classified the dam’s hazard potential as “significant.” But around 2010, federal regulators questioned that classification and recommended Petersburg do an updated dam breach study. Instead, the borough’s power department elected to re-classify the dam as “high” hazard and forgo a study.
McMillen is the engineering firm that designed the hydroelectric plant’s recent upgrades and that helps the borough manage the dam’s safety. They anticipate the study project would happen between October and January. The proposed budget adjustment would add $60,000 to the funds already approved for the study, bringing its total cost to $116,000.
The third budget change would transfer a combined total of $15,000 out of the electric, water and sewer department budgets and put it toward the borough’s geographic information system project. GIS experts helped collect data in the field this summer, and the borough says the added funds are needed for ongoing professional support for the project. The information is used by those utility departments.
Assembly members will vote on the changes for the first time at their meeting Monday night. They would need to approve the changes three times for them to pass.
The Petersburg Borough Assembly meets Monday night at 6 in the Assembly chambers. KFSK will broadcast that meeting live.
