🎥 5-year maintenance plans supported by hike in water, wastewater rates

Jeff Crispin, director of water resources, has designed five-year maintenance plans for the city’s water and sanitation facilities, funded by increasing water and sanitation rates.

BY BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The tenders for four maintenance projects in Hays’ water resources department were discussed last week during the city commission’s working session.

Jeff Crispin, Director of Water Resources, presented information on purchasing a lime shaker that was used to remove contaminants in city water, two portable generators for water production wells and sewer lift stations, 22 miles for cleaning and inspecting sewer rehabilitation of six wells.

According to City Manager Toby Dougherty, it’s nothing special, just necessary maintenance.

“We can do that because a few years ago the city commission introduced a multi-stage rate increase for water and sewage [customers]”, he said.” First, to bear the cost of the new sewage system, but second, to take care of such maintenance work. ”

“Until we got that money, it wasn’t that we didn’t have the need. It was because we didn’t have the money to take care of our things,” Dougherty said. “It is always cheaper to take care of than to replace it. It is always cheaper to put a new liner in a sewer pipe than to dig it out and replace it.”

Dougherty said the city appreciated having the maintenance fee and Crispin was instructed to “figure out and overcome the needs”.

“He did a really good job. Kudos to him.”

Mayor Sandy Jacobs and Commissioner Shaun Musil told Crispin they appreciated his explanation of the water resource projects to the commission.

“For those of us who are not in this business, it is easy to understand and that is very much appreciated,” Musil said.

“You present it in a way that I will actually understand when I go home,” Jacobs said. “Every now and then my husband will ask me a question that I can actually answer.”

The recommended low bids are:

* $ 119,000 from Integrity Municipal Systems, Poway, California for a replacement lime shaker
* $ 94,705 from Foley Power Solutions, Topeka, for two portable generators, one each for water harvesting and water reclamation
* $ 108,937 from Pipe Detectives, Jamestown, ND, for easy cleaning and video inspection of 22 miles of sewer service
* $ 65,246 from Downey Drilling, Lexington, Neb., For rehabilitation of four town water wells and two Smoky Hill River wells near Nice

The commissioners also heard from John Braun, project manager, about a tender for improvements at the intersection of 230th Avenue and 55th Streets north of Interstate 70 at Exit 157.

At the request of Ellis County, the city assumed responsibility for a US $ 1.5 million grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation’s economic development project in December 2019.

The project is being paid for by KDOT funds, with the developer of Hays Truck Plaza, from D&J Land and Development LLC paying any excess.

The low bid of $ 1,878,301 is from Hess Services, Hays. The civil engineering contract with Driggs Design, Hays, priced at $ 140,800, puts the total cost of the project at $ 2 million.

All project costs are reimbursed to the city by the KDOT grant and the developer.

The commissioners will consider approving all project offers at their meeting on Thursday.

You can find the full agenda here.

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the town hall of Hays, 1507 Main.

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