City Council accepting bids for new pumping station

The City Council voted, 7-0, to approve site plans and $28.2 million in construction costs for a new pumping station at the outlet of the Bee Branch. When the Mississippi River is high, the city closes a gate at the outlet of the Bee Branch and pumps the water out with 70-year-old pumps to prevent flooding, particularly in the Millwork District. The city received $15.6 million in federal grants to replace the pumps, along with a $790,000 Federal Emergency Management Agency grant through the state of Iowa. The remainder of the funds come from $8.2 million in local sales tax revenue, $2.3 million in stormwater fees, $784,000 from DRA and an $820,000 state revolving fund loan. Bids on the project will be opened Thursday, Jan. 23, with a contract award anticipated for Feb. 3. The project will be finished in 2027.