The Utilities Committee is holding a special meeting on 09/04/2024 at 6:30PM prior to the 7PM Common Council meeting.
They met on 08/27/2024 during which they were scheduled to receive a final update on the wastewater treatment plant Polymer Incident as well as vote on 3 action items. The video from that meeting has not yet been posted, and judging by the agenda for the 09/04 meeting, they do not appear to have voted on any of the action items.
All of the action items from the 08/27 meeting are on the agenda for the 09/04 meeting as well as an additional request to approve an update to the city’s Summer Sewer Credit Policy which will allow the billing associated with that policy to match the functionality of the city’s new billing software.
![](https://i0.wp.com/allthingsappleton.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Summer-Sewer-Credit-Policy-Update-Memo-01.jpg?resize=608%2C695&ssl=1)
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Additionally, the three action items from the previous meeting will also be taken up.
The first of those is a request that city staff and the mayor be authorize to immediately execute and file a Request for Exclusion with the appropriate courts and parties in the Tyco and BASF class action lawsuits so that the city is opted-out of these respective lawsuits.
Back in November of 2023, the Common Council voted to opt out of a class action lawsuit settlement with 3M and DuPont for PFAS contamination. Although the city did not currently need to conduct mitigation efforts and could have received up to $2 million in settlement dollars, it rejected that option in order to maintain its right to file a lawsuit or make an insurance claim should the need to do so arise in the future.
A similar PFAS contamination class action lawsuit has been filed against Tyco and BASF, and City Attorney Christopher Behrens is once again recommending that the city opt out of the class action lawsuits so that it can maintain its right to seek redress in the future should the need arise.
![](https://i0.wp.com/allthingsappleton.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/BASF-and-Tyco-PFAS-Lawsuit-Opt-Out-Memo.jpg?resize=588%2C756&ssl=1)
The second item is a request to approve an engineering services contract with Donohue and Associates, Inc as part of the Utilities Department network system upgrades project. The total amount of the contract including contingency is $256,324.
The third item, which is an addition to what had been on the 08/13 agenda, is a request to update Chapter 20, Article V of the Municipal Code pertaining to Stormwater Management Services to correct the late fee percentage that is assessed for unpaid balances. The existing ordinance lists a late fee assessment of 1.5%, but currently the city assesses only a 1% late fee.
![](https://i0.wp.com/allthingsappleton.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Stormwater-Late-Fee-Assessment-Rate-Ordinance-Update-Memo.jpg?resize=599%2C542&ssl=1)
View full meeting details and video here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1227889&GUID=5D5BFC53-D441-46EC-9A60-8AD85809B2AA
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