(ABC 6 News) – Albert Lea city council came to a unanimous agreement on two major issues on Monday night’s agenda.

The city is expected to need $80 million to repair its wastewater treatment facilities.

RELATED: Albert Lea City Council eyes emergency sewer main repairs

Council members agreed to take money from the city’s sewer fund to repair an old sewer main that broke due to heavy storms just a few weeks ago.

Though there’s a temporary fix in place allowing residents to use the sewer system as normal, repairs are still critical.

“If we’re ever hit with another rain event like we saw right before the fourth of July, we’re afraid that we’ll have another illicit discharge, where basically it will force so much water into the dam, that it will then overspill and leech out into the farm field,” said City Manager Ian Rigg.

Those specific repairs will likely cost between $315,000 and $500,000, but the city intends to apply for FEMA reimbursement once a patch is completed in the next few weeks.

The other big-ticket item on Monday’s agenda – how to fill the Ward 4 vacancy left open by former council member Sherri Rasmussen.

RELATED: Albert Lea’s Ward 4 City Councilor resigns

Because her resignation happened after the filing deadline, the city cannot hold a special election. Instead, the seat will be filled by an appointment from Mayor Rich Murray.

Murray says so far only one person has shown interest in the role.

 “It’s critical that we will that as soon as possible so that they have a direct person to go to, but myself and the city manager and a couple of the other ward councilors have been filling in, trying to cover the fourth ward while they’re without somebody, but it’d be nice to get it filled just as soon as possible,” said Murray.

Mayor Murray is accepting applicants for the position through the end of the month.

He hopes to announce his appointment at the next city council meeting, and the new Ward 4 representative will ideally begin duties immediately at that time.