July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.

Water woes plague Dunkirk (9/14/04)

More problems told to city council

By By Robert [email protected]

DUNKIRK — More water-related problems bubbled to the surface here at Monday night’s city council meeting.

Mayor Sam Hubbard said city residents were still experiencing trouble with rusty water. Water department superintendent Dace Mumbower also pointed out there were computer and other technical problems at the plant and two of the city’s wells were temporarily not functioning at capacity.

Hubbard recommended the council consider a proposal from Commonwealth Engineers Inc. of Indianapolis to evaluate the city’s public water supply facilities and “to recommend a course of action to alleviate problems associated with water discoloration and water quality deterioration.”

A price of no more than $5,750 would be set for this work with an estimated completion date of 60 days, Hubbard said.

“I think this can help with the rusty water problems,” Hubbard said.

However, Mumbower said some more immediate repairs were needed at the plant to maintain an adequate supply of water for the city. He said this need should take precedence over water quality issues at the present time.

Hubbard then recommended tabling the Commonwealth proposal, pending further examination of these more pressing problems. “Let’s just table this and look this proposal over, and see what other problems we’ve got to look into first,” the mayor said.

Also Monday, Councilman Dan Watson suggested the city might need to raise additional money for the water department. He suggested a small, possibly 3 percent increase, in water rates, but a reduction in sewage treatment fees so that city residents would not actually be paying any additional money to the city on their water and sewer bills. Rather more income would be going to the water department for improvements to the system.

“I would like to shift where the money is going,” Watson said.

Another hot issue related to city water service discussed Monday night concerned charges and requests for adjustments to bills.

Connie Whetsel, the council member who supervises the water department, said every time one resident’s water bill is adjusted, the city is “bombarded” with more requests from other residents for adjustments. She said the city should only be making adjustments where an underground leak is involved.

At Monday’s meeting, Julia Roysden, 710 N. Elm St., requested an adjustment to her bill, saying it was too high. She also questioned whether her water meter was working properly. She pointed out that one of her neighbors had made a similar request a few months ago, and received an adjustment and a new water meter.

Hubbard agreed to have a new water meter installed at the Roysden home and have the present one checked for accuracy.

After more discussion, Councilman Craig Faulkner said the council made a mistake when it granted the previous adjustment to the neighbor. Hubbard nodded in agreement.

“If we had it to do over again, we wouldn’t have made the adjustment,” Faulkner said.

In other business Monday, council members:

•Approved a one-year renewal of the city’s health insurance policy with Anthem Blue Cross-Blue Shield through the Stafford Insurance Group Inc. of Muncie. Michael Stafford Jr. said the city would experience about a 10 percent increase in premium costs next year, but more than half of that amount was due to a substantial number of employees crossing benchmark age levels.

Stafford predicted that the premium costs might show a decrease in the following year.

Council members approved the one-year renewal agreement Monday night, and took under advisement proposals by Stafford to add long-term disability and dental coverage to the city’s health insurance plan.

•Tabled a proposal from Municipal Services Associates Inc. of Hoffman Estates, Ill. to act as a consultant on cable television service matters. The council then accepted a six-month extension of the current cable TV franchise agreement with Insight Communications.

•Approved second and final reading of the city’s 2005 budget which will take effect in January. The new budget, totaling just under $1.4 million for the general fund, does not include any major expenses for new equipment. It does grant a 4 percent across-the-board pay increase for most city employees.[[In-content Ad]]
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