Railroad quiet zone put on “visit about it” list
The near-miss of a big sewage problem caused by the city-wide power failure after a twisting storm in Jefferson April 13 has the city sewer committee considering back-up generators.
The power outage that night was long enough that the city crews were concerned untreated sewage would flood into the river or back up into homes.
Committee members at their monthly meeting Tuesday got the first word on cost estimates to install a generator at the Grimmell Road lift station, purchase a portable generator that could be taken to any of the other six lift stations, and update the switches at all seven stations.
Total cost would be between $100,000 and $150,000. The cost of the portable generator and trailer is estimated at $45,000, with another $5,000 per lift station for a plug and manual switch. The cost for the permanent generator is estimated at $35,000 with another $10,000 for the automatic switch.
According to water superintendent Tom Schilling, four of the lift stations pump to the Grimmell Rd station, and half or more of the city flow goes through that station. Schilling said a portable generator could serve each of the other stations enough to keep the system functioning.
City clerk Diane Kennedy said a generator was considered as part of an upgrade to the Grimmell Rd station a few years ago, but it was taken out of the plan due to cost.
The committee asked to have firm costs for the Grimmell Rd portion before making a recommendation to the full council.
A railroad quiet zone was on the agenda but no action was taken to move the project forward. City administrator Mike Palmer said the project is a priority, but asked if the committee wants to keep it as an agenda item. Palmer said there are “six or eight” people who are interested in it. “It’s a lot of money, and we have other priorities right not,” Palmer said.
“You can put it on (the agenda) periodically so it doesn’t go away, but right now we’ve got so many things going, we probably aren’t going to do anything with it right now,” council member Larry Teeples said.
Palmer suggested that going forward, when residents ask the status of quiet zones, staff will answer, “We’re visiting about it every couple of months.”
The committee approved placement of a Lincoln Highway marker, a Lincoln Highway interpretive sign and a bench near the entrance to the Jefferson municipal cemetery. The proposed east entryway improvement project ends at the cemetery entrance. The Lincoln Highway Association received a $3,000 grant for the signage and bench.
A grant application to Union Pacific railroad for funds to begin the larger project is still pending.
The committee also came to a compromise with resident Jill Franey over a 15-year-old disputed water bill. Franey was billed $3,485 one month. She disputed the bill and still says the person who read the meter (who no longer works for the city) said he “missed a number.” She has begrudgingly been paying the past due amount in small increments over the years. She still owes $465 on that bill.
New city council member Matt Gordon took up her cause and asked if that much water usage was reasonable. City staff admitted that a leaking toilet can add as much as $1,700 to a bill, but not close to $3,500.
After longer than 20 minutes of discussion, the committee decided to recommend to the full council that the remaining $465 be forgiven and that a credit be put on Franey’s current water account for the amount she’s paid on the past due over the past five years.
Palmer told the has asked department heads to consider needed capital improvements. Capital planning will be part of the budget process for FY’19-’20 as some general obligation bonds are paid off. A multi-use path along S. Elm St to Greenewood Road and the east entryway project are two projects to consider, Palmer said.
