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The Coffee County, Manchester City Joint 105 Committee made incremental progress on a proposed water and sewer line expansion project that will serve areas along Highway 41 north of Manchester. 

At the March 1 meeting, members addressed some concerns about the cost of crossing Interstate 24.

City Engineer Scot St. John was not at the meeting, and the proposal submitted at the last meeting, Oct. 12, 2022, included numbers from 2020.

Vice Mayor Mark Messick said that in conversations that he had with St. John, the crossing could cost in the ballpark of $960,000 alone. Option 3, the one the committee was most interested in at the October meeting, had a 2020 estimate of $4.3 million.  

The committee moved to formally ask St. John Engineering to prepare up-to-date numbers for the City and County to take to their respective Budget and Finance Committees.

The City and County will each pay 50% of the cost and that depending on the cost for the engineer to do it is understood that it should follow the appropriate procurement process, and could require an additional vote from the budget and finance committee(s).

While the area north of I-24 has limited areas for development, the primary reason to expand the lines there would be to improve water and sewer access to North Coffee Elementary School.

The committee noted that owners of property touched by the sewer line wanting city sewer could request annexation without the city opening up the urban growth boundary beyond its current lines.

Project could meet resistance

During the meeting, the discussion brought to light that Manchester City Mayor Marilyn Howard (not in attendance) has misgivings about whether the city should undertake the project.

Following the meeting, Howard saidthat the 105 project is a good idea, but currently the city would be better served with other sewer projects.

“We’ve got too much that needs taking care of with the lines we have. We’ve got (inflow and infiltration) in the system that needs rehab rather than heading out in that direction. That’s my personal opinion,” Howard said.

She fears the opinion may not be politically prudent, but said that her first concern is to the residents in the city of Manchester.

“We have to get out from under this moratorium,” she said, referring to the state Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) order of agreement that restricts new taps that will increase flow into lines that have chronic overflows.

Messick, on the other hand, was optimistic about the likelihood of getting the project approved by the Board of Alderman.

On the county side, County Commissioner Tim Brown pushed for urgency in the process.

“We need to hurry up and move forward because the last meeting was four-and-a-half (months) away and price keeps going up. We need to get serious on something,” Brown said.

County Mayor Judd Matheny said that cooperation is key moving forward.

“I certainly respect Mayor Howard’s position and will obviously work wording the parameters the Mayor and Board of Aldermen,” he said.    

“I’m fine with doing it as long as the investment is mutual and the expectations of the city and county are clearly spelled out before starting,” Matheny said.