City leaders may take action this week and approve outsourcing the operation of the city’s waste water treatment plant.

     Mayor Les Bumgarner said Thursday he expects a called board meeting to be held sometime in the upcoming week to hear a recommendation from Public Works Director Steve Moreton.

     Moreton has previously advised city aldermen that he and Mike McKenzie of WGK engineering have been reviewing contract proposals from firms to operate the waste water treatment plant.

     When asked Friday, Moreton was less definitive than Bumgarner regarding the timing of any recommendation he may make.

     “We’ve gone over the proposals, and we hope to be able to make a recommendation this week,” Moreton said.

     Calvin Carter left the Waste Water Treatment plant April 16, leaving the Brookhaven plant without a class four operator. From the time of his departure, the Department of Environmental Quality grants 180 days to place another class four operator in the post.

     Moreton said upon Carter’s departure, he began thinking of contracting out the water plant’s operation out rather than continuing to have the city directly run it.

     “We felt like this might be the time to switch it over to a service,” Moreton said. “They know more than we do. With DEQ requiring what they do, we’d feel more comfortable with someone else in there.”

     A contracted operator would also be able to address any problems that arise quicker than the city can, Moreton said.

     Moreton has previously advised aldermen that the cost of directly operating the plant and the cost of a service contract should be about the same.

     Moreton and McKenzie have been reviewing proposals for about two months. Moreton said he’s selected a company, but still needs to approach the company with remaining concerns about the contract.

     Pending those negotiations, Moreton said he couldn’t offer a firm estimate on when he might approach the board with a recommendation.

     Moreton said he reviewed some contracts to operate only the city’s waste water treatment plant and some proposals to operate the treatment plant and the city’s 19 lift stations. The tentatively selected contract would be for the plant and the lift stations.

     Moreton declined to identity the company he’s provisionally selected until negotiations are complete.

     There are currently two employees at the treatment plant. One of them, Willie Gayten, will be leaving his post June 22.

     Moreton said the last remaining employee might be retained by the contracted operator. There is some urgency to the process as Moreton wants whomever the city hires to have some time in the plant with Gayten before he leaves.

     Contractor-operated water treatment plants have become increasingly common, said Moreton.

     Ward Five Alderman D.W. Maxwell has previously advised Moreton to seek as short a contract term as possible, though Moreton told him five years is the average length of a contract and most companies aren’t interested in short contracts.

     If a called meeting is scheduled, notice of the meeting must be posted, per state law. The next regularly scheduled board meeting will be held June 5.