Some additional machinery — and personnel — will soon be installed at the city’s wastewater treatment facility.

The Dowagiac City Council passed two measures during its last meeting Monday at City Hall meant to improve the operations of the local sewage and water treatment plant, located on State Road near Pokagon Street. The council agreed to enter the city into a management agreement with Infrastructure Alternatives Inc. for additional operational oversight and staff training at the facility, as well authorized the purchase of a solid waste grinder for the plant.

The first of these measures will bring in personnel with Infrastructure Alternatives, based out of Rockford, Michigan, who will provide management to existing public services employees working there, training and supervising them as they develop new standard operating procedures for the site, said City Manager Kevin Anderson.

The agreement is for six months, and will cost the city $48,600, at a rate of $8,100 per month.

The agreement is also renewable, should both the city and Infrastructure Alternatives see value in continuing the partnership.

According to Anderson, a number of important factors have come together over the last several months to make cooperation with a private organization a necessity.

The loss of several staff members at the plant, as well as the ongoing construction projects at the site, has caused the department of public services to fall behind on developing a proper maintenance and documentation system that is needed for the city to renew its discharge permit with the state. In addition, the city is looking to develop asset management plans in order to make the system eligible for state grant funding, Anderson said.

“We need to make sure what we have at that plant is a system that operates, a system that is maintained and a system that does not pollute the environment,” Anderson said. “We need to make sure it is operating at the highest level possible.”

When asked by city resident Diane Barrett-Curtis as to whether or not the city was planning on replacing the city’s staff with that of a private company, Anderson responded that no current staff would be replaced. In addition, sewage rates will not be affected by the agreement.

The second item passed, the purchase of a new grinder, provided by JWC Environmental, will cost the city $23,601. The new equipment will replace the current grinder located at the facility, which has become inoperable.

The council also approved payment of the city’s bills and payroll during Monday’s meeting, in the amount of $1,280,022.