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Tampa council thwarts sewer system grant plan

Contributing writer

Rose Mary Saunders, grant coordinator, came to the Tampa City Council meeting April 3 to discuss the next steps in trying to obtain a grant for upgrading the sewer system. The proposed changes are needed to get into compliance with government requirements.

Saunders asked the council to pass a resolution to authorize the project, explaining this step would allow the mayor and city clerk to sign paper work to present to the Kansas Block Development Grant. Tom Moldenhauer moved and Willis Herbel seconded a motion to pass the resolution, and the motion carried.

Next, Saunders presented an engineering services agreement employing Reiss & Goodness as engineers for the project. She asked the council to sign the agreement, saying the next step would be a public hearing. Wilbert Backhus asked what would happen if the bid was lower than projected, and she explained the ratio of state revolving fund to KBDG funds would remain the same.

The question was raised about what would happen if citizens declined to approve the project at the public meeting. Saunders said the city could simply notify the state they were dropping the project. Signing the engineering agreement would not bind them to anything.

Mayor Jim Clemmer remarked, "The only bad thing would be the raise in the sewer rates. We haven't raised rates in 10 years."

"That is not prudent," said Saunders. "You aren't paying the same as you did 10 years ago for anything else."

"But we're getting by," Wilbert Backhus commented.

"You need to do more than get by," Saunders answered. "If those pumps went down, you wouldn't have the money to replace them." She informed the council the state average for sewer rates is $16 per month.

The mayor asked if there was a motion to sign the agreement. After a prolonged silence, a motion was made to go ahead, but it died for lack of a second.

"I'm wondering if we should have the public meeting first, before we sign the agreement," said Paul Backhus.

"We could table this agreement until the next meeting and do it in conjunction with the public meeting," said Saunders. "But I can't send in the paper work and that puts us a month further behind. If you wait, everything will be at a standstill, because I won't do any more work, such as writing letters to the state until I have a contract."

The public meeting on the project must be advertised three weeks in advance, so it cannot be held until the middle of May. Paul Backhus moved to hold the public meeting May 15. On a second from Wilbert Backhus, the motion carried. No action will be taken on the engineering agreement until after that date.

Dan Holub, county commissioner, was present to discuss any concerns the council has about county business. He talked about work being done on the roads and said the county is getting equipment which can repair small sections of paving instead of having to tear up long segments at a time. He also pointed out that reports of a one percent sales tax for a new jail are in error. "We can't levy a tax. It will have to be voted on, and I don't think we could get one percent voted in."

In other business the council discussed fixing the hole in the street above the storm drain at the bank corner. Paul Backhus suggested calling the county to see if they have bridge planks available. The mayor said he would make inquiries of several possible sources.

The old card tables with advertising on them came up for discussion. Some people have expressed interest in buying them, but nobody seems to know what they are worth. The consensus was they can be put out for sale sometime when there is a public event.

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