District will look at options

The Jay County Regional Sewer District agreed to bid two options for a sewer project north of Dunkirk and compare prices.

The board voted to have Commonwealth Engineers draft plans and bid both forced-main and gravity-feed sewer systems for the Skeens Addition project in Dunkirk, which runs mostly along county road South 1150 West between county roads 300 South and 400 South.

After conversations with Dunkirk wastewater superintendent Tim Kesler and Dunkirk councilman Chuck Rife, Ben Adams of Commonwealth said both options can be bid and the price compared.

Adams planned to install a forced-main system, consisting of several grinder pumps, which will shred solids and pump sewage toward the treatment plant. Maintenance would occasionally need to be performed on pumps as they age or break down. The district plans to hire private plumbers to handle that maintenance.

A gravity system, which moves sewage by pressure built up by gravity, would likely require less maintenance in the long run. Board president Gerald Kirby said, however, that if blockage did occur, it would likely require a professional beyond the normal service of a plumber to fix, which could cost more.

"It will cost more," Adams also added about the initial cost of a gravity system, stating that expense would be in the range of $120,000. "That's a fact."

Adams told the board that both plans can be provided at no additional engineering cost to the district. When bids come in the project, Dunkirk officials can discuss their options with the board.

"I welcome having it bid both ways," Kirby said.

In other business Monday evening, the sewer district board:

•Answered several questions from Dunkirk resident Phil Ford.

One major request brought by Ford was that the sewer board establish an escrow account in which to hold funds being paid for maintenance on the lines. Referencing ditch assessments, Ford said he wants to be sure that money is being used for maintenance only.

Board members assured Ford that money being paid for maintenance will only be spent for maintenance. Other bills such as engineering fees and construction costs will be paid for out of the total project amount and will be repaid by users through the debt service portion of their monthly payments.

"We're not going to go out and blow your money on a party," said board member Don Denney.

Ford also wanted to know if the monthly cost - estimated to be about $70 - would increase, predicting that within a few years the cost could soar to more than $100.

Adams said he couldn't say for certain if or when costs might increase, but noted that all sewer fees in Allen County are more than $100 from the beginning. The places where costs could increase for users in the future are in the maintenance and treatment portions of the bill, which would be controlled by the sewer district and City of Dunkirk, respectively.

•Received an update from Adams on the projects' progression. He informed the board that he is still waiting for construction permits from the state before he can secure United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development funding.

Adams said Rural Development is eager to fund projects and should pick up the project quickly once it is submitted.[[In-content Ad]]