At the November 1 meeting, the Fountain Council learned from Public Works Director John Hanson that the city must replace a part at the north lift station repair, located near the intersection of Highway 52 and County Road 11.
“This past weekend, we noticed one pump was running almost 24 hours a day,” said Hanson. After inspection with Dan Shimota of W.W. Geotsch & Associates, they concluded the issue was a check valve. Inspecting the issues in the vault further, Shimota noted further issues with a gate valve that won’t close. “He got it to move a little bit, but when he went to loosen it back up, it just kept turning and turning and turning.”
Shimota feels the two valves are original to the lift station. “They discontinued making those check valves 10 to 15 years ago,” added Hanson. “If we figure it out right, those valves are about 36 years old, so they did very, very well.”
In an email, Shimota indicated the process was initiated because run times were off at the station, continuing to worsen, and by seeing the pump differential between the two lift pumps. In order to replace the parts, Shimota will need to drain the force main back.
“The line will ‘bleed’ from Cedar Street all the way back to the lift station. He feels we need that vacuum truck there through the process to keep up with the lift station of the inflow coming in during the day,” added Hanson.
The estimated cost of the valves, with labor, is $14,324. The vac truck cost is an additional $1,800, or $225 an hour for eight hours. There is a possibility the truck will not be needed for the entire time, saving the city a portion of the cost.
The funds for the work are yet to be determined. Normally, they would come from the Wastewater Fund. But, with the city forced to replace several big ticket items already this year, they may need to come from the General Fund or Equipment Fund. The timeline for getting the parts is two to three weeks.
“We’ll see what happens. We have to do it. We have no choice,” clarified City Clerk Mary Tjepkes.
The council also discussed a recommendation by the zoning board to deed a 10-foot portion of city property to Jason and Amanda Sethre. The area is a deadlocked piece of property that Sethres have maintained and improved since purchasing their home, believing it to be part of their property, according to Councilor and Zoning Administrator Ron Reisner.
Mayor Tammy Danielson asked whether doing so would set a precedent for the city and if there are any exclusions to consider. The city has deeded small portions of land before for easement and property line clarification, but not for a residential lot. Danielson also clarified that the area is not a roadway or alley right-of-way.
“When this becomes public, the decision here is going to set a precedent,” she said. “This isn’t a blanket decision for every strip of property in the city.”
Any other/future requests would need to go to the zoning commission first, be dealt with on an individual basis, and meet certain criteria. The council unanimously approved deeding the property with any costs paid for registering the information with the county to be paid by the Sethres.
Council discussion also included the community center. Danielson suggested the city may want to start upgrading tables, as they’ve been short at events, and the current tables are difficult to maneuver. Talk, however, turned to other needs at the center.
“We need to improve the community hall to continue renting it,” said Councilor Jordan Kerns.
In past meetings, the council discussed extensive water damage and issues. Many of those repairs were done, but there are other areas of the building needing work, which prompted the council to discuss other work to make the center more functional. They’ve noted a desire to upgrade the space by opening up a wall to enlarge the kitchen and serving counter, creating larger restrooms, converting the existing restroom to a supply closet, and painting the interior. Funding, which is part loan, part grant, is being sought for as much of the work as possible.
“Let’s see where we’re at. Hopefully, the grant will go through,” said Danielson. “The community hall is definitely in need of repairs. That’s where we’re going to have to start doing some things.”
The council recognized and commended John Hanson for 10 years serving the city. He will receive an incremental raise and a one-time bonus. The raise is effective November 18.
The next regularly scheduled council meeting is Wednesday, December 6, at 7 p.m. at city hall. The public is encouraged to attend.
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