All outdoor faucets in Hillsboro will have vacuum breaker
Equipment will be installed by city employees
Staff reporter
Every city water customer with an outdoor faucet will be required to have a vacuum breaker installed on the faucet.
Morgan Marler, senior water plant operator for the City of Hillsboro, presented a proposal Monday during a special meeting of Hillsboro City Council to have the mechanism installed.
Marler suggested city employees install the breaker and charge customers only for the cost of the device.
She obtained a bid of $4.25 each for 2,000 breakers from Blue Book. There would be no shipping charge if all of the breakers are shipped at the same time.
The device will be locked on residents' outdoor faucets and will not be removable. This will prevent any back flow into the city's water system.
The council agreed that having city employees install the devices was the best way to enforce compliance.
Homeowners will be notified in the June city bill of the installation and charge.
Marler also will send surveys to homeowners regarding water wells, cisterns, and sprinkler systems to compile a list for annual inspections.
In other business:
— Petitions for Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church addition were approved.
Gene Rath of MKEC Engineering presented information about planned improvements for the subdivision.
Phase I will be street paving, water, and sewer to accommodate the construction of the church. Phase II will follow when more lots are sold.
A letter of credit was acknowledge for the church site.
The council approved the petition on the condition the other letter of credit for the remaining development will be received by the city.
— A bid of $118,496 was approved for replacement of a water main on Madison from A to D streets, as part of the Tabor College expansion project.
The council had instructed city engineer Bob Privatera of Reiss and Goodness Engineering to seek a bid from Mies Construction for the project.
Earl Mies said traffic will continue on D Street during construction and residents will continue to have water service until the new line is installed.
Privatera said he was waiting for direction from Tabor College so construction can be coordinated with their contractor.
— The city's street sweeper is in need of repair or replacement.
City employee Martin Rhodes reported that $25,000-$30,000 in repairs are required to make the sweeper operable again.
He obtained two bids for a new street sweeper which would cost between $138,000 and $150,000. One of the new sweepers would not work on streets with gravel.
A lease could be used to purchase the equipment but Dalke was not in favor of that.
"We don't have the money for a new sweeper," said Dalke, "and I don't like to lease."
Councilman Shelby Dierks said he wasn't fond of leasing.
"I would rather see streets improved instead of spending $150,000 for a sweeper."
Rhodes said the sweeper hasn't had any major problems since it was purchased new in 1990, and was mechanically sound. Dalke said the sweeper isn't used enough to justify purchasing a new machine.
The council instructed Rhodes to have the sweeper repaired. A company in Salina will pick up and deliver the sweeper. Repairs could take two to three weeks to complete.
— A gas pipeline lease was approved with American Energies Pipeline LLC of Wichita. The line will be used by the pipeline company to transport natural gas. The lease is for 20 years. A fee of $4,000 per year plus a transport tariff of five cents per thousand cubit feet of gas transported through the line will be paid to the city.
— Temporary notes for $816,000 that were used to fund the city's water treatment plant improvement project will be redeemed July 5. The water notes were issued until the city could secure funds from USDA Rural Development for the project.
— Councilman Byron McCarty asked the council to consider changing the personnel policy to allow employees to take time off due to deaths in the family.
Currently employees have to use vacation time or take time off without pay.
McCarty said when a family member dies, it takes time to plan the funeral, take care of personal business, and grieve.
City administrator Steve Garrett asked if accrued compensatory time could be used. The council agreed it could.
— Garrett asked the council if an application for a CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) should be made for housing rehabilitation or a water line on Birch Street. Councilman Matt Hiebert suggested applying for the water line since housing rehabilitation applications have been turned down in the past.
— Megan Kilgore of Hillsboro Management Board reported she had been meeting with three prospective businesses.
She also reported all of the initial funds have been loaned in the county's microloan program. Funds from loans that are now being paid back are available.
— The council approved the following re-appointments for one year: Keith Collett, municipal judge; Steve Garrett, city treasurer; and Dan Baldwin, city attorney.
Board appointments were: Kyle Cederberg, re-appointed to the city's board of zoning appeals for a three-year term; Susan Watson and David Loewen to library board for four-year terms; and Brenda Kimberly appointed to the library board to complete Adam Wathen's term.
The next council meeting will be 4 p.m. June 5 at city hall.
