The state approved the Lakeland Sewer District’s plans and specifications for their project (see related). The board of trustees will be allowed to set dates for meetings in the coming weeks to receive bids for the sewer collection and treatment systems. The district has made plans to advertise for potential bidders on Nov. 14 and Nov. 21.

Bids will open in December and contractors are expected to be selected in March or even in February. Board President Jim Haney expressed relief to finally be moving forward, saying, “We submitted plans on May first, and had originally hoped for approval after 60 days. We didn’t get it until five months later but we are ready to move forward.” The project funding loan must be finalized by Mar. 11, and the project is expected to be completed by late 2016.

The project will be split up into four sections, northern, middle, and southern, and wastewater treatment plant, for the purposes of bidding.