Jared Findley of the Worth County Rural Water District addressed the Grant City Council Wednesday night at the council’s regular meeting. Currently, the RWD and the City have an agreement where the City marks up water rates 50% from the purchase price of the water from the Nodaway County Rural Water District, which sells water from the lake south of Gentry to Grant City and Stanberry. This has been in place for the last 15 years or so, when the City and the RWD last negotiated water rates.
However, as water rates go up, the fear is that Grant City’s rates will go up to the point where the Rural Water District will have to look at switching to the Southern Iowa Rural Water District (SIRWA), with which the RWD already has a connection, or Harrison County, which is coming near to the RWD on the east side. The Rural Water District is also close to being able to directly connect with Nodaway County after they recently expanded to Isadora, using their own funds.
The rate that Grant City has charged the Rural Water District has doubled since 2011. Mr. Findley wanted to see a new deal where the city charges the base rate that they get charged by Nodaway County plus the cost that the city pays to transmit the water to the Rural Water District.
The current agreement between the City and the Rural Water District runs through the 2030’s. The City’s agreement with Nodaway County runs until 2040, and the city has a minimum that they have to purchase from Nodaway County.
“We’re happy with the service; we just want to see a new rate agreement,” said Mr. Findley. On his wish list down the road was a possible joint water tower that could supply either the City or the Rural Water District with water for 24 hours in the event of an emergency.
The council took no action on the water rates. The city is looking to obtain more information first.
Jimmy Young and Nadine Wuillay came to the Council to discuss a high water bill. On one particular day, they were both gone all day, and when they came home, the electronic water meter showed that they had used 6,000 gallons of water when they normally use 2,000 gallons a month. There was nobody home, and cameras showed no intruders. There were no leaks discovered that could have accounted for it. The problem fixed itself right before they came home. The council voted to credit them 50% of their water and sewer bill. The cause was believed to be a water meter malfunction.
The council voted to donate a free swim for a Worth County PTO pool party to be held August 11th for two hours. The rain date will be August 12th.
City Administrator Lizzie Jeanes was not present but left a report. The sewer project is waiting on power to be installed.
The Lover’s Lane sewer project is getting close to being done.
Five people were cited for mowing violations. Three of them paid, while two have additional charges to go on their tax bill.
The city needs to decide what to do with the lots where the two buildings south of the Petaler collapsed. They are waiting on the bills to come in and then divide the bill according to the square footage that had to be cleaned up.
The city is getting ideas for gardens and green spaces to go on the Square after things are gone if nobody wants to build.
Ryan Fletchall reported going back and forth to the Lagoon because levels were too high with the rain the city has had. He put peroxide in it to level it out. Water from recent rains shifted the lift pump; the city got it set. The city is looking into doing smoke testing on the sewer to identify leaks. Fletchall reported getting meter pits and meters replaced.
The city voted to put some new gravel streets into the chip seal rotation. They are 3rd Street east of the Nursing Home in front of the Bus Barn, north McKinley Street past the Pool Park, three blocks of West 7th Street, three blocks of West 5th Street, one block of Kelso, one block of Goodsill, and one block of West 8th. The city will add 9,500 square yards into the chip seal rotation in addition to the 19,000 square yards that the city already does.
Tyson Troutwine reported putting two loads of cold mix on Old 169 from the County Barn to the gas plant in anticipation of traffic that will come through when 169 south of Grant City closes for bridge repair.
City Clerk Farrah Richey reported still having trouble with ClerkBooks closing out months. She is in the process of getting quotes from other software companies.
The city voted to renew the copy machine lease for $9 more a month from last time. The city will get a newer machine.
The council approved building permits for Sherri James, the Christian Church, Daniel & Debbie Roach, David Gross, and William and Penny Gilbert.
There was discussion of Donald Mancuso’s trailers obstructing the view of the intersection of South Lyon and East 6th. By state law, vehicles cannot be parked closer than 30 feet from a stop sign. Mayor Debbie Roach will talk to Sheriff Scott Sherer about enforcement.
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