Published: June 23, 2008 09:17 am      

Water rates, potholes bring complaints

WELTON — A proposed water rate of $95 per month brought strong complaints from residents at the June Welton City Council meeting.

Mayor Janet Huffman explained the rate will probably be less — possibly $20 less — but a resolution for the higher number had to be passed in order to begin drawing money from a state revolving loan fund to pay contractors.

“This is a preliminary ordinance,” she said. “It will definitely be amended after all the work is completed. We hope it will not be at that rate. We put it together at other times and thought it would be $20 less.

“But the people who have contracted to do the work have to get paid. They’re not going to wait until the entire project is completed. That’s the law. Otherwise we would wait.”

The council unanimously approved first reading of the resolution and waived second and third readings, again because some of the contractors were waiting to be paid, including Engineering America, which has completed erection of the water storage tank and was owed $38,945.35.

The $95 base is for the first 3,000 gallons. After that, the cost will be $2.57 per 1,000 gallons.

A citizen complained a family of five would use the minimum 3,000 gallons in five days and thus be charged the additional fee.

Two other citizens said they should not be required to hook up to the new municipal water system because they have water from their well tested every year and it has always been good.

They said Grand Mound and DeWitt have grandfather clauses that permit tested wells to continue in use.

But Huffman noted they are in the area where two wells have been contaminated by benzene left from a service station’s underground storage tanks.

Huffman, herself lives on Seven Day Hill, where there is no concern about that contamination, but still residents of the hill will have to hook up to the new system, she pointed out.

Councilman Glen Boswell added that if some residents were granted an exemption from the water system, the others would have to pay that much more to meet the revolving loan debt.

“I’m concerned, too,” he said. “I don’t want to pay this bill every month, but we’d cut our throats if we started making exceptions.”

A citizen suggested the council hire a specialist to seek grants to help with the cost of the water project.

But Huffman said she talked to consultants at the East Central Intergovernmental Association and was told there are no large grants available, especially considering that the project has already been started.

She said she also tried to contact Senators Harkin and Grassley, but “They were no help at all.” She had prepared an application for a gaming grant, which the council approved.



Potholes will have to wait

In response to complaints about potholes in the city streets, Huffman said she contacted DeWitt’s public works director, who came out and viewed the streets.

“He said we have extensive damage, but he does not have the personnel or time to do the repairs.”

Then she talked to Determann Industries and got an estimate of $6,000 for the work.

But the council had decided, before the winter damage, to wait until the water project was finished before having the streets repaired.

The company which has the contract for laying the pipes along the streets expects to start that work at the end of this month, it was noted.

The comment was also made that the potholes “slow people down.” No action was taken.

In other action, it was noted Boswell was not a legal member of the council. He had been appointed two years ago to fill a vacancy and then through an oversight his name was not on the ballot in the last election.

On advice of County Auditor Charlie Sheridan, the council again appointed Boswell.

Huffman said if the citizens do not agree with that action, it would take a petition with signatures equal to 15 percent of the voters at the last general election to cause a special election to be held to fill his seat on the council.

Huffman said the council examined all of Boswell’s votes so far this year and none of them would have made a difference in council decisions.