Staff writer
The city’s finance committee recommended Monday night that the city council spend $8,200 to bore under Spring Creek in order to bury the pressure pipeline to the sewer lift station at the Olive Street Bridge. The pipe is attached to the bottom of the bridge and violates Kansas Department of Health and Environment regulations.
“KDHE has been after us for some time to move the lift station,” Public Works director Darren Pickens said. “As often as Spring Creek floods, we have been lucky that branches and debris have not crashed into it, causing a sewage discharge into the creek.”
The pressure pipe also freezes frequently and requires paying overtime to employees to keep it operating properly.
“It just needs to be underground,” Pickens said.
Middlecreek Inc. of Peabody submitted the bid for the bore work. The city will pay for the work with funds from the sewer replacement fund.
City Administrator Mac Manning will notify residents on South Olive of the upgrades.
In other business:
- Matthew Litton, 208 W. Second St., will be reimbursed for damage to his basement and contents when the sewer line in the alley adjacent to his home backed up. Litton will obtain damage and cleanup quotes so Manning can file a claim.
- A resolution to abate a nuisance property at 509 N. Locust St. was approved.
- A request was tabled to have the city park track and the Works Progress Administration sports complex, and picnic tables added to the National Historic Registry with the Floral Exhibition Hall. More information from Kansas Historic Sites Board of Review will be obtained.
- Ronnie Harms and Harold Brooks Jr. will represent the city at the Rural Water Conference March 29 through 31 in Wichita. Pickens said he has all the certification hours he needs, but would like to see Brooks begin the certification process.
- Municipal Court software will be purchased for $3,590. The amount includes installation and training.
- New Federal Emergency Management Agency floodplain management regulations were adopted and publication of the ordinance approved by the council.
- Payment of one-half the cost of a fire training session March 16 through 18 in Topeka was approved for Kelly Cook.