Water system issues involving maintenance of the current system, as well as a potential expansion to a California business, were discussed Monday by the Board of Aldermen.
Flynn Drilling has approached the city with an agreement for annual water supply inspection of the city's system, said Kyle Wirts, city water supervisor.
Under the agreement, Flynn crews would visit California once a year to check the original design parameters, electrical supply and other maintenance-related functions of the five wells in California. An inspection for one well would cost $274. Inspection of five wells would cost $1,375, Wirts said.
The board approved the agreement unanimously.
In related matters, the board learned of needed repairs at two city wells.
The board approved a motion to fix a motor on Well No. 9, which is located at the high school. Wirts said the motor for the well was grounded and nothing else was wrong with the well. The cost to fix the well is $30,000. With the 10 percent discount from Flynn Drilling, the city will save $3,000 on the bill.
Mayor Norris Gerhart told the board a leaking well near a house on Cedar Street has left "a very wet front yard." Wirts and his team investigated and found one of the two wells on the property was leaking.
Capping the well will cost $3,000, which will come from the water department's capital improvement plan. Wirts asked the board to allow Flynn Drilling to cap the well; the motion was approved.
In other action, Gerhart told the board that officials with Burgers' Smokehouse have expressed an interest in joining the city's water system as well as possibly its sewer system.
Gerhart said he, Wirts and Tyler Dicus, city electric supervisor, met recently with Keith Fletcher, senior vice president of Burgers' Smokehouse, to discuss the potential expansion.
"They're growing a lot," Gerhart said. "There are a lot of things they need out there."
Gerhart said he needs to look at what economic impact an expansion would have on the city. "We wouldn't be doing anyone a favor by not exploring options," Gerhart said.
He said he would speak with Bartlett & West, an engineering firm out of Jefferson City, to get an estimate on a preliminary project to hook up Burgers' Smokehouse to city water and possibly sewer.
In other business, the board:
Amended the annual budget to allow for $540 to be spent on care of cemetery land.
Allotted $1,244 to spray weeds in the cemeteries, $3,282.71 to spray Proctor Park, $97 to spray weeds at the city park near the tennis courts and spray the Cargill baseball field for $1,804. Bueker's Lawn and Garden will be spray these areas.
Swore Mayor Norris Gerhart, aldermen Ron Baker and Darryll Elliott, and board President Lanny Ash into office. City Collector Joe Coffelt was also sworn in during the meeting.