Engineer hired to conduct water feasibility study
Staff reporter
An engineer has been obtained to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of a wholesale water district for Marion and Hillsboro.
Marion City Administrator David Mayfield reported Monday to Marion City Commission he and Hillsboro City Administrator Steve Garrett met with Kevin Rood of Professional Engineering Services of Wichita.
PEC agreed to conduct the study for $25,000, Mayfield said, with a grant covering 50 percent of the cost and the two cities splitting the other 50 percent. Marion and Hillsboro will each pay $6,250 for the engineering study.
"The study will look at utilization of Marion, Hillsboro, or a new plant," Mayfield said.
Currently the Marion water plant has a one-million gallon per day capacity, which is not used at this time. The maximum the city has used in one day has been 500,000 gallons, Mayfield said.
"The water plant would need to be capable of four million gallons per day," Mayfield said. If the Marion plant were used, it would need to be expanded and updated.
Two meetings in the next two weeks will be held with the engineer, Mayfield said. A contract from PEC is expected this week and will be placed on the agenda for next week.
Mayfield said if Hillsboro's water plant is utilized, Marion will need a water line to Nighthawk. The cost of the line would be included in the study.
"(USDA) Rural Development had an estimate of $2 to $3 million for the line," Mayfield said, adding, "the more expensive the plant, the more expensive the water."
Rural Development wanted the city to explore the feasibility of buying water from Hillsboro when the city applied for funds.
"We're where we need to be with the current water prices," Mayfield said.
There is a 12-inch line in place that distributes water to Peabody and the engineer thought it would be large enough. Hillsboro currently pumps water through their lines and Marion has a gravity flow.
If it is feasible for a wholesale water district, Mayfield said the district would be responsible for monitoring the plant.
The city received a letter and donation of more than $1,000 from Richard and Lola Wiebe of Chaska, Minn. Richard's mother is Alma Jean Wiebe of Marion. The donation is to be used to plant trees with the locations to be determined by the city.
Mayfield said the parks board will be contacted for input and the trees planted in September.
Harvey Sanders, public utilities superintendent, reported city crews had trimmed trees on Walnut Street, assisted the school district in installing a fence at the baseball complex, installed new locks on the blue hangar at the airport, removed a raised area in the middle of Eisenhower Road and filled with asphalt, and repaired refuse truck.
City attorney Dan Baldwin asked the commission to consider allowing the discharge of fireworks through Monday "since Monday is when the holiday is observed," Baldwin added. The commission approved the suggestion. Fireworks may be discharged Thursday through Monday.
Commission approved a budgeted transfer of $115,000 from the utility fund to the general fund for operating expenses, warrants in the amount of $114,308, and payroll in the amount of $27,774. The warrants were higher due to a payment to APAC for airport improvements.
Mayfield reported Marion City Library was featured in the latest edition of Preservation News.
The commission will meet at 4 p.m. Tuesday since the city offices will be closed Monday in observance of Independence Day.
