The City of Rock Island may provide utility services to the Arsenal Island starting next year. Monday night, the city council considered hiring an outside firm to help determine the cost of taking over some services for the Rock Island Arsenal. The report should be ready in the fall.
Public Works Director, Randy Tweet, says next year, the US Department of Defense will privatize the Arsenal's utilities, including water, sewer, electric, and gas. If Rock Island chooses to take over any of the services, it would likely enter a 50-year contract.
Tweet says the city already collects wastewater from the Arsenal, and will probably only consider providing water and sewer services.
Tweet says Rock Island will only provide utilities to the Island if it's cost effective. The city could potentially earn up to $2 million each year. But, it would also be required to maintain the Arsenal's infrastructure.