Post 3 in a series.
Updated 6.22.15.
Last week I promised a working bibliography (one that’s a work in progress, subject to updates) of what the City of Whitewater has published or said about a digester project. That bibliography appears below.
I’ll offer a few remarks about it:
- Each presentation below raises numerous questions about the project, and I will list them in subsequent posts. Some of the remarks at one meeting contradict those made later, some of the claims (even significant ones) are without information or evidence, and there’s almost no discussion of environmental or health consequences from a plan that would increase the amount of waste Whitewater imports and exports to a volume well beyond our city’s resident population.
- These questions have not been asked at any stage of the project, despite more than one discussion about it. (On the contrary, some of the responses to presentations are little more than cheerleading.)
- Anyone reading or listening to these documents and meetings will quickly see that there is obviously a great deal of information that hasn’t been published, but that falls within Wisconsin’s Public Records Law, Wis. Stat. §§ 19.31-19.39.
- Although I begin with a 12.3.13 presentation to Whitewater’s Common Council, that’s almost like opening a book halfway through: that presentation makes clear that much discussion had already taken place by the time Wastewater Superintendent Tim Reel spoke to Council.
- Through these meetings, there are references to other meetings for which the City of Whitewater has yet to publish any information.
- I’ve added meetings concerning Trane, a vendor in this discussion, although they’ve disappeared from current discussions about the digester. Their former presence and current absence are relevant and material to this project.
- No meetings listed below concern lobbying for trucking into the city, although a local business lobby’s interest in protecting truck routes into and out of Whitewater is relevant to any plan, like this digester plan, that depends on the importation of waste from other cities into Whitewater.
- Descriptions of this digester plan, as part of a waste wastewater upgrade amounting to $20.7 million dollars, make clear how much the city has yet to do after that expenditure – there are near-term, government-mandated requirements that the wastewater upgrade will not address.
- I’ve read and reviewed these documents previously, but checking and posting a list of them is a useful tool for future posts. I’ll update this list as needed.
- A list like this may not be particularly exciting to read, but it’s like a geode: the most interesting things lie inside.
Agenda http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/agendas/common_council/2013/Complete_Packet_2013-1203d.pdf
Minutes http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/minutes/common_council/2013/2013-1203.pdf
Video https://vimeo.com/81042136
Common Council Vendor Presentation, 1.21.14
Agenda http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/agendas/common_council/2014/2014_1-21a__Complete_Council_Packet.pdf (link broken)
Minutes http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/minutes/common_council/2014/2014_01-21.pdf
Video https://vimeo.com/86074358
Common Council Discussion, 2.4.14 (Trane Contract)
Agenda http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/agendas/common_council/2014/2014_2-4_Full_Packet_a.pdf
Minutes http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/minutes/common_council/2014/2014-02-04.pdf
Video https://vimeo.com/86074358
Common Council Discussion, 2.20.14 (Trane)
Agenda: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/agendas/common_council/2014/2-20-2014_Full_Packet_C.pdf
Minutes: Unpublished.
Video: https://vimeo.com/87518039
Council Discussion, 3.4.14 (Trane)
Agenda: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/agendas/common_council/2014/2013_3-4_Full_Packet.pdf
Minutes: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/minutes/common_council/2014/ccmin_2014-03-04.doc
Video: https://vimeo.com/88385707
Council Presentation, 4.15.14 (Trane)
Agenda: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/agendas/common_council/2014/2014-0415a_entire_packet.pdf
Minutes: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/2014-0415.pdf
Video: https://vimeo.com/92172012
Council Resolution, 5.6.14 (including borrowing for Trane)
Agenda: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/agendas/common_council/2014/2014_-_05-06_Complete_Packet_c_2_reduced_size.pdf
Minutes:Unpublished.
Video: https://vimeo.com/94519080
Council Presentation, 5.20.14
Agenda: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/agendas/common_council/2014/2014-05-20_Complete_packet.pdf
Minutes: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/2014-0520.pdf
Video: https://vimeo.com/96032772
Council Presentation, 6.17.14 (Donohue)
Agenda: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/agendas/common_council/2014/2014-0617complete_packet.pdf
Minutes: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/2014-0617.pdf
Video: https://vimeo.com/98591644
Council Strategic Planning Session, 7/1/14
Agenda: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/agendas/common_council/2014/2014_0701_Council_Complete.pdf
Minutes: Not published at City of Whitewater website as of 4.27.15.
Video: https://vimeo.com/99763597
Council Discussion, 7.15.14 (Donohue)
Agenda: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/agendas/common_council/2014/2014-0715_Council_Complete.pdf
Minutes: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/2014-0715.pdf
Video: https://vimeo.com/101042555
Council Discussion Closed Session, 12.2.14 (Trane)
Agenda: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/2014-1202_complete_packet_with_links.pdf
Minutes: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/2014-1202.pdf
Video: https://vimeo.com/113940875
Council Presentation, 12.16.14 (Donohue) and Closed Session (Trane)
Agenda: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/2014-1216_complete_packet_reduced_with_links.pdf
Minutes: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/2014-1216.pdf
Video: https://vimeo.com/113940875
Council Presentation, 3.3.15 (Donohue)
Agenda: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/agendas/common_council/2015/ccagen_2015-0303.pdf
Minutes: Unpublished.
Video: https://vimeo.com/121301890
Council Presentation, 4.21.15 (Donohue, postponed)
Agenda: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/agendas/common_council/2015/ccagen_2015-0421d.pdf
Donohue Technical Memoranda:
City of Whitewater website mainpage: http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/residents/recent-news/2803-wastewater-facility-poised-for-upgrades
Project Timeline (http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/public_works/wastewater/Estimated_Project_Timeline_12.19.14.pdf),
Memo 1 – Strategic Direction (http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/public_works/wastewater/Donohue_Technical_Memo_1_-_Strategic_Direction.pdf),
Memo 2 – Flows, Loadings and Existing Conditions (http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/public_works/wastewater/Donohue_Technical_Memo_2_-_Flows_Loadings_and_Existing_Conditions.pdf),
Memo 3 – Nutrient Management (http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/public_works/wastewater/Donohue_Technical_Memo_3_-_Nutrient_Management.pdf),
Memo 4 – Digestion Complex and Energy Production (http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/public_works/wastewater/TM_4_Digestion_Complex_and_Energy_Production_v4-final.pdf),
Memo 5 – Hydraulic Capacity (http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/public_works/wastewater/Donohue_Technical_Memo_5_-Hydraulic_Capacity.pdf),
Memo 6 – Liquids Treatment Evaluation (http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/public_works/wastewater/Donohue_Technical_Memo_6_-_Liquids_Treatment_Evaluation.pdf),
Memo 7 – Buildings & Support Facilities (http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/public_works/wastewater/Donohue_Technical_Memo_7_-_Buildings__Support_Facilities.pdf),
Memo 8 – Recommended Plan (http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/images/stories/public_works/wastewater/Donohue_Technical_Memo_8_-_Recommended_Plan.pdf).
Whitewater City Manager Update, 2.6.15 (http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/weekly-report/2837-city-manager-update-week-of-february-6-2015)
Whitewater City Manager Update, 2.20.15 (http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/weekly-report/2852-city-manager-update-february-20-2015)
Whitewater City Manager Update, 3.7.15 (http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/weekly-report/2873-city-manager-update-march-7-2015)
Whitewater City Manager Update, 3.20.15 (http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/weekly-report/2875-city-manager-update-march-20-2015)
Whitewater City Manager Update, 5.1.15 (http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/weekly-report/2893-city-manager-update-may-1-2015)
School Board Presentation, 3.16.15 https://vimeo.com/122470431
Wastewater Upgrade Presentation, 5.28.15, http://www.dailyunion.com/news/article_67911a44-0607-11e5-9868-43725b0e315c.html
Common Council Discussion 6.2.15, https://vimeo.com/129697983
Wastewater Upgrade Presentation, 6.23.15, https://vimeo.com/131892711
City Manager’s State of the City Presentation, 9.17.15, https://vimeo.com/140321184
WHEN GREEN TURNS BROWN: Mondays @ 10 AM, here on FREE WHITEWATER.
Next Monday: Looking at the 12.3.13 Presentation.