THE FAIRMONT CITY COUNCIL WAS PRESENTED WITH A WATER AND WASTEWATER RATE STUDY PUT TOGETHER BY BOLTON AND MENK AND NORTHLAND PUBLIC FINANCE. THE STUDY LAYS OUT THE OPERATING AND CAPITAL COSTS OF THE TWO OPERATIONS AND EVALUATES CASH FLOW AND FUNDING TO DETERMINE FUTURE RATES. PART OF THE STUDY SHOWED THAT WATER RATES COULD GO UP FROM $42 TO $60 PER USER PER MONTH AND WASTEWATER RATES UP FROM $35 TO $43 PER USER PER MONTH. THE PRESENTATION WAS GIVEN TO FAIRMONT PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION IN AUGUST.
THE COUNCIL MONDAY APPROVED NEGOTIATING A CONTREACT WITH KRAUS-ANDERSON TO SERVE AS CONSTRUCTION MANAGER FOR THE NEW PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY PROJECT. ESTIMATED COST AT $560,526. THE FINAL FEES WILL BE BASED ON A GUARANTEED MAXIUMUM PRICE FOR THE PROJECT THAT WILL BE SET ONCE CONSTRUCTION BIDS ARE RECEIVED. ENGINEERS ESTIMATED THE PROJECT COST AT $8.8. THE COUNCIIL VOTED 4-1 TO APPROVE WITH COUNCILOR RANDY LUBENOW VOTING NO SAYING THE CITY IS SPENDING TOO MUCH AT THE SAME TIME., INCLUDING AN ESTIMATED COST OF UP TO $83,000 TO REPAIR THE ELEVATOR AT CITY HALL.
THE COUNCIL APPROVED 26 SMALL BUSINESS GRANT AWARDS PAYED FOR BY FUNDS THROUGH THE FEDERAL CORONAVIRUS RELIEF OR CARES ACT. THE CITY HAD AUTHORIZED $250,000 FOR THE EFFORT. CITY ADMINSTRATOR CATHY REYNOLDS SAID THAT MARTIN COUNTY HAS APPROVED A SECOND ROUND OF GRANTS AND THOSE WANTING TO APPLY AND THAT THE DEADLINE TO APPLY THROUGH MARTIN COUNTY IS NEXT WEEK.
The residents of the 1300 block of North Grant Street delivered a message to the Fairmont City Council on Monday: Fix our water. The eight houses on the dead end street get water service through a cast iron water main installed in 1954 and prone to corrosion. Over the past few years, the neighbors have dealt with increasingly rusty water coming into their homes. The city installed special units in the homes to remove the rust and also supplies the replacement filters as needed, but the problem is escalating. Fairmont City Engineer/ Public Works Director Troy Nemmers says to correct the issue the city will need to replace the water main and water services. That will mean their will have to include repair or replacement of the sreeet as well as curb, gutter and sidewalk. The decision to place the project on the 2021 street improvement program will comre up for discussion in February or march when the program is brought to the council for approval.
In another matter the council decided to lower the assessment on property of John Hovick on Lake Avenue to $5,680 – half of the $11,360 amount assessed at the hearing on October 12. Mr. Hovick filed a written objection at the meeting saying he had been assessed $8,021 for bituminous,sidewalk, curb and gutter in 1990.