Kankakee Times

City of Watseka Public Works Committee met Nov. 15.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

PRESENT: Aldermen Cahoe, Marcier, Barragree, Garfield, Miller, Alderwoman Musk, and Mayor Allhands

GUESTS: Public Works Director Loren Grosvenor, Keith Mulholland with Robinson Engineering

Alderman Cahoe opened the meeting at 6:35 pm. There was no public comment. The following projects were discussed:

Meter Reading Improvements: Radios were ordered 9/28/22 and 8 boxes of them were delivered 11/10/22. These will be scheduled to start install after the November meter readings are done. They will start with businesses first.

Fire Hydrants: Loren stated he should be getting the results this week and the next steps will be to start repairing and replacing hydrants, the painting will need to wait till spring because of the weather. It was stated 3 hydrants have been bagged off. Loren also stated the Grant St hydrant is sealed up.

Oxidation Ditch: the 3rd ring was put into service 11/3/22. The punch list is nearly completed, valve stems and wheels need repainted, and operator rotated. Loren stated the oxidation ditch is now running at 100%.

New Well: There is a meeting scheduled with Peerless Midwest 11/17 to discuss proposals. There was a lengthy discussion about a possible grant for the well and the timing of the grant. No work can be done until the grant is secured which could be in the fall of 2023. Keith will look into this more and come back with more dates next month.

Well 6: Loren stated the city needs to get an air stripper to run to waste and resample at lower GPM to monitor vinyl chloride. Loren and Keith are trying to find an air stripper to rent, they have contacted a couple of businesses but are still waiting to hear back from them. Road Improvements: IPC completed the storm sewer on Herron Ct., asphalt/concrete are completed on Herron Ct, Division, Jefferson , Grant and Ash St. There was a discussion about the core samples on Adams and the extra work that is going to be needed there. Adams St is going to need to be taken down more and have a base and fabric installed before the paving starts the extra work is going to cost another $107,000. The city employees are potholing utilities for IPC and the base installation is expected to start 11/16/22. Yard restorations will be done in the spring of 2023. There was discussion that S 3rd St could be the same as Adams with the crown that is in the street. It was stated IPC is hoping to start milling Wednesday and possible put binder down on Friday but with the cold weather coming in that might not happen. There was some general discussion concerning Freehill Asphalt and the mastic vs grinding. Drainage Project along E Walnut St: The city is still waiting on TPW for a response about helping with the clearing of the trees for drainage. A culvert will need to be installed before the 8th St paving project in 2023.

Locust/Brown Street Manhole Project: This project was delayed because the Rail Pros that the railroad uses for flaggers etc. had the incorrect paperwork but is has been fixed and they are hoping for a November 28th start date.

GIS Mapping: 3 Ipads have been ordered and have been delivered. The cost to set up the ArchGIS software is about $2700 annual. Loren has found the GPS receiver at well 10 but a pole for the unit needs to be purchased and they need to make sure the unit works. Public works employees will collect the GPS points for map correction.

Staffing: Loren is conducting interviews and has 3 positions open. He stated the feedback from possible employees is the cost of family health insurance. There was a short discussion about health insurance but nothing was decided because of recently signed union contracts. Miscellaneous:

1. Automatic hydrant flushers for the west side of town have been received and will be installed asap.

2. Televising truck is in the shop because it will not start. This truck is a 1996 with analog camera equipment that the city should look at updating sometime. There was discussion about buying new vs buying used. The committee instructed Loren to get prices on both.

3. Truck #7 is in the shop because it pulls hard to the right when applying brakes

4. Truck #8 is out of the shop and ready for the winter with the plow and salt loaded and ready to go.

5. New Ford F550 service truck has a recall and will need service body removed for frame bracing. Waiting on Ford to schedule work as truck will be out of service for a few weeks while recall is being completed.

6. 100 Tons of salt will be delivered 11/18/2022

7. 16 tons of asphalt was purchased this month for patching and potholing.

8. Mulberry lift station excess flow pumps control valve 3 was not functioning. Valve is left open creating back pressure on weighted check valves. Loren found check valves stuck closed on 10/31/2022 and had to use a winch to force them open to get pumps working for high flows due to rain events. He is currently working with Metropolitan and discovered they were called out 1/23/2021 for the same issue and it was never followed up on to get repaired. Loren is waiting for a proposal on new actuators and/or completely new valve assembly to determine lowest cost.

Alderman Garfield stated he has talked to BLH Computers and they have a date of 9/9/2023 for the next recycle event if the city is interested. The committee agreed yes they are.

Alderman Cahoe reported he has talked to the Chamber and others that plant flowers in the spring and they have come up with a possible solution. They are suggesting to purchase more troughs and put out in front of businesses in hopes that a business will adopt the trough and water it. The baskets on the poles will then be taken down. The committee is in agreement with this.

Alderman Cahoe askes Loren for Public Works to clean up and repaint the black rod iron in the downtown area. Loren asks the committee about purchasing a portable sand blaster to use for projects like these and others. The committee is ok with this

Alderman Cahoe stated he is asking for volunteers for this Saturday at 9:00 to meet at the Santa house to finish putting up the Christmas lights on the poles in the downtown area.

Alderman Cahoe makes a motion to adjourn at 7:45 pm and Alderman Barragree seconded.

Roll call carried 7-0.

https://www.watsekacity.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/public-works-water-wastewater-11-15-22.pdf