Dunkirk pump issue had easy fix

DUNKIRK —  When a pump at the city’s wastewater treatment plant went down, action had to be taken quickly.

City council members agreed, via text message, to the purchase of a new pump at a cost of $22,000, but it turned out that expense was not necessary.

Dunkirk City Council on Monday discussed the repair of the pump and continued efforts to put its new firetruck into service.

Almost two weeks ago, an emergency text message was sent out to Dunkirk City Council members asking for approval regarding the purchase of a new pump at a cost of $22,000.

“I did that for an emergency. When a pump goes down you can’t just stop the wastewater department from working,” said council member Jesse Bivens. “It’s kind of like an emergency operation to keep our plant running. I text everybody and they said they agreed in the process.” 

Council members approved the $22,000 purchase of a new pump, but there was a simpler fix to the problem. 

When Bivens asked city workers to take apart the pump to see what was wrong with it, only a few bearings needed to be replaced. That brought the cost of the fix down to just $31.

“We took it apart and were able to fix it,” he said. “So congratulations to the wastewater department. We took a bill away from our debt. And it works.” 

Council also purchased four hoses for the fire department, which recently purchased a used 1998 pumper truck from the City of Portland. The cost for the hoses is estimated at $4,535.

The truck made an appearance in the Glass Days parade June 1, but council member Bryan Jessup said it will not be ready to be put into service on fire calls for another four to six weeks.

“It looks so much bigger than the old 1980 truck I didn’t realize,” said Jessup. “You put them next to each other, it’s a whole different animal, and brighter.” 

The department is continuing to work to donate its old firetruck to South Adams High School, which offers firefighter training. 

In other business, council:

•Approved the following: compliance checks on tax abatement agreements with S.D.P. Manufacturing and Ardagh; a $200 donation from the mayor’s promotional fund for T-shirts for the Dunkirk Optimist Club’s Jerry Nelson Memorial Free Fishing Derby; payment of $2,252.92 for 18 new lounge chairs for the city pool; a water leak adjustment for the cost of $224.02; payment of claims totaling $336,096.89.

•OK’d rezoning of 109 W. Center St. from residential to commercial. The area was originally planned to be apartments, but is being developed into a business. 

•Learned the park board will meet at 4 p.m. June 19 in the city building.

•Made payments of $1,500 to J&A Tree Service and $1,000 to Newsome’s Tree Stump Removal after both companies helped the city remove trees from the streets following severe storms May 28.