The city wants to spend $2.3 million next year for three outside companies to help oversee projects for a federally mandated decree to modernize and improve Fort Wayne's sewer system.

City Utilities Deputy Director of Engineering Matthew Wirtz asked for and received Board of Public Works approval Wednesday morning for assistance from Malcolm Pirnie, CH2MHill and DLZ Indiana, all of which have or will have Fort Wayne offices. Wirtz said the city doesn't have the staff, expertise or resources to plan and implement nearly $165 million in sewer, storm and water projects from 2010 to 2014.

“We're proud of the in-house development we've done,” Wirtz said. “But we've got the opportunity to work with people with 20 years of experience and experience in other communities with consent decrees. The consent decree has some pretty cutting-edge technology, and regulations are changing all the time. We need experts in that.”

The $2.3 million for program management was budgeted as part of the $240 million Long-Term Control Plan implemented by the city - and accepted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - from December 2007 to 2025.

Wirtz said the city will have to enter into contracts with external companies in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, with costs estimated to decrease every year to around $1.1 million by 2014.

Wirtz said three to five full-time experts will temporarily join the city staff and help with all aspects of program development. He added that 15,000 work hours are budgeted for external associates, many of whom will be on call rather than working from the City-County Building.

These external workers will also help train full-time city employees for future projects relating to the consent decree. The city has used external assistance before for other projects, but nothing of the scope it is will face over the next five years, Wirtz said.

“There are so many different things involved in the engineering side of projects - more than just design,” he said. “Studies, flow monitoring, assessments, environmental review, permitting and other tasks. We're looking for more than project-specific help, more across-the-board help and extension to our staff.”

The contracts are subject to City Council approval. Wirtz said he'll likely present the contracts for discussion in Tuesday's meeting.

♦The board approved a project coordination contract with the Indiana Department of Transportation for pavement milling and resurfacing on Jefferson Boulevard from the Lutheran Hospital entrance to Illinois Road. Funds for the estimated $1.3 million project, slated to begin in the spring, come from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, commonly known as the federal stimulus package.

♦The board also approved a contract between the city and INDOT to design and acquire right of way to convert a four-way stop to a traffic light at the Maplecrest Road and Monarch Drive intersection. The estimated cost is $525,000 with the federal government paying 80 percent and city paying 20 percent ($105,000). This is part of a much larger project that will widen Maplecrest from Lake Avenue to State Boulevard. The city will begin this project when the county completes the Maplecrest extension from Lake to Adams Center Road.