City council tables decision on water study
Hillsboro council will not participate
Taking a wait-and-see attitude, Marion City Council decided not to make any decisions Monday regarding the participation in the WRAPS feasibility study at Marion Reservoir.
Council members wanted to know the outcome of a special Hillsboro City Council meeting also Monday evening before making the decision.
Mayor Martin Tice said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers indicated there were no additional funds available for a feasibility study to determine the best treatment of sediment issues at the reservoir.
Councilman Stacey Collett said if the city were to participate, the funds should be per customer and not a flat amount.
"The county is already getting money from the city," councilman Gene Winkler said. "We'd be paying twice."
Tice said the county had budgeted for the $72,800 matching portion of the grant. The county had requested Hillsboro and Marion contribute $18,200 each, and the county would contribute $36,400.
Mayfield said real-time monitoring was needed at the reservoir to determine toxin levels which will assist water plant operators in adding chemicals.
If the council decided to participate with the WRAPS grant program, funds could be taken from capital improvement but something else would suffer, Mayfield said.
Other options for paying the non-budgeted expense would be to increase the city's mill levy or water rates.
"Hillsboro is in favor of the WRAPS program," Mayfield said, but was determining the best use of their money.
Hillsboro City Council did not approve participation in the WRAPS program during their Monday meeting. Instead, they sent a letter, signed by mayor Delores Dalke, to the Corps that indicated the city wanted to participate in a water quality management study with the Corps.
The letter of intent could partner the City of Hillsboro with the Corps in sharing costs for the study.
Hillsboro city officials indicated it was important to participate with the Corps since the Corps owned the reservoir.
Marion City Council will discuss the matter again at its next meeting on Sept. 11.
