By Clark Natalie

The city of Harris appears to be in the right place at the right time.

At the regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, June 26 the council moved to authorize the city engineer to prepare and submit an application to the Minnesota Cleanwater Legacy Grant program.

When the state limited the amount of phosphorus waste treatment plants could discharge, it caused many cities to upgrade their systems to be in compliance.

The state then set up a grant program to help fund the changes.

The grant applications can only be submitted between July 1 and July 10.

Because of where Harris is in the process of approving, constructing and financing its new Wastewaterater Treatment Facility (WWTF), the city not only will have their application in on July 1, but will be given preference, it was noted.

Had the construction started, the city would not meet the primary requirements of the grant.

Mayor Rick Smisson also said that in their application, the city will try to obtain the largest grant possible because the restrictions on the phosphorus caused the city to change from a settlement pond facility to a mechanical system.

Smisson also said that City Engineer Chuck Schwartz said the work that Bill Grasavage had done obtaining the funding for housing and lift stations related to the WWTF may also allow them to qualify for additional grants.

Some of the funding of the WWTF may come through increase in taxes.

These increases could be converted to assessments.

The city could then obtain up to $500,000 in grants to abate or forgive the assessments on low income residences in Harris.

But this is still in the planning stages and no repayment plan has been approved.