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More cost expected for water solution
The news keeps getting worse for McCook water users.
The expense of building a new water treatment facility and moving a 4-million gallon storage tank may add $4.7 million to the millions the city already plans to spend on a water solution.
The average McCook water user may pay an additional $26.43 instead of the original $20.59 anticipated under the city's water solution plan.
Greg Wolford of W Design and Chris Miller of Miller Associates along with Jim Hager, McCook Water Superintendent and Marty Conroy, McCook Public Works Director, met with the McCook City Council Monday night to discuss possible plans for building the new plant.
The plans would include locating the treatment facility and a new storage facility on the 9-acre site where the current well field is located. The group suggested replumbing an existing well (No. 3) into the system and redrilling a second well which has been out of service.
City Manager John Bingham raised the question of whether the city should reconsider the treatment option for the city, stressing the city must have whatever solution it decides on completed by the 2006 deadline mandated by the state of Nebraska.
Councilman Dick Trail offered his thoughts on the idea. Suggesting that if the city were able to find a clean source of water, the city would have several years to examine the need for a treatment facility.
Phil Lyons was forceful in his objection to the idea. "To date we've spent around $4 million looking for clean water. I'm satisfied that we've done what we can. We've spent plenty of the taxpayers' money looking for water. I'm done wasting money. I'm finished!"
When asked how much it would cost the city to look at another site, Conroy told the council the data that would be needed is already available. He said the city would use its own staff and engineers to identify sites where the landowner would be interested in allowing a field to be located.
"We'd work with Miller Associates and W Design locally," he said.
The city was already planning to spend $7.8 million for a treatment plant, plus $1.2 million per year to operate it.
Bob Kalinski of RDG Geoscience and Engineering, the firm working with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad was on hand to inform the council his company had placed four more monitoring wells around the city's 4-million gallon water storage tank.
Kalinski said the wells were drilled down to the top of the fluid levels at 31.5 - 32 feet.
The well drilled closest to the tank brought up contaminated soils at 30 feet and reached the fluid level at 32 feet. The bottom of the tank is estimated to be at 22 feet and the line carrying water from the tank to the city's water towers is estimated to be at 28 feet.
Conroy pointed out that because of the current drought, the water table under the tank has dropped. When the drought ends, the water table will most likely rise and with it the diesel plume covering the ground water.
In other action, the McCook City Council agreed unanimously to approve the sale of the Carnegie Library and the six lots where it and the High Plains Museum are located, to the High Plains Historical Society for $100.
Lyons questioned John Hubert, representing the Historical Society as to whether the organization would be able to maintain the building.
Hubert told Lyons his group felt it has the means to continue the upkeep of the building.
The council asked the city attorney to prepare the necessary documents for the sale of the property.
In addition, the city will take out building permits in order for the society to move forward with roof repairs that had been halted late last year.
"The city will take out the necessary building permits, the red tag will come off and they can proceed with their plans," said Bingham.
The estimated cost of repairs to the roof of the 93-year-old building is $40,000. Hubert said his organization would proceed with the repairs, with the understanding that if the sale falls through for some reason, they would take full financial responsibility for the expense.
During the council comments period of the meeting, Mayor Jerda Garey told the citizens attending the meeting that her vote against a ventilation system for the Public Safety Center it was not her intention "to not address the safety factor and not look at other alternatives."
She told McCook Fire Chief Marc Harpham she would like the issue brought back before the council during one of the next couple of meetings.
Jim Kenny, who was the only council member to vote for the purchase of the system asked other council members what kind of money they would be willing to spend on a system.
Lyons said he failed to understand why the fire department could not "take the vehicles out and exercise them."
Garey announced that she would be hosting a coffee with the Mayor Friday, from 9 a.m to 10:30 a.m. at the Oz-Tex Bakery at 801 West C Street.
In other action the council:
- Approved a contract with Waste Connections of Nebraska for a seven year extension of the city's current agreement. The city will pay $16.80 per ton for the first year and increase 5 percent each of the next six years.
- Accepted W Design and Associates as the architectural firm for the Heritage Senior Center expansion project.
- Received and filed the city's financial report for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2002.
- Received and filed notification of the receipt of $16,000 for the McCook Municipal and Bathhouse from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
- Received and filed a status update on a district court case filed by Pietro Giorgione against the city of McCook.