Kahoka Considers COVID Funds To Pay For Sewer Extension

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By Mike Scott

The City of Kahoka has a plan to pay for the promised sewer line extension to the Clark County Fairgrounds-if they can get an agreement from the Clark County Commissioners.

At their Monday, September 13 meeting, Mayor Jerry Webber reported that he and Shawn McAfee had met with the Commissioners. McAfee asked the Commissioners to fund the entire extension using American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Among the allowed purposes of the funds are water, sewer and broadband projects.

According to Webber, the Commissioners declined to spend nearly $35,000 on the project. Webber said he then suggested $10,000, which is being considered.

Alderman Les Billings suggested that the city spend $10,000 of their ARPA allocation, and move the project forward. Billings also suggested an alternative-to have the county use their equipment to dig the project and save the money, but that idea raised liability questions.

The city would eventually recover the rest of the cost of the project, around $22,000 including the $7000 in engineering work already paid for, in the form of sewer service charges over several years. Since the fairgrounds are not in city limits, the council discussed a rate of $125- 150 per month, but no decision was made.

“The fair board should be paying over half of this (project),” said Alderman Larry Young repeating his stance from previous meetings on the topic.

The council will seek a written agreement with the county.

On another sewer-related topic, the sewer extension to the new dentist office near Dollar General has an issue. The sewer line does not come out of the building where it was planned.

“Based on the plans they provide, and then did not follow, they came out at a different place,” said Webber.

Because of the change, they will need to get an easement through Brett Bertelli’s adjacent property, and Bertelli does not want to pay for it.

“This is a dispute between two property owners,” City Attorney Brett Bozart said. “We don’t have a dog in this fight.” In other business, the council:

•Agreed to work out a written agreement with Bash Tree Service to allow him to pay $1000 per year to have a key to the dump, to dispose of limbs. The limbs would need to come from within the city limits, and be place where the city wants them at the site.

•Discussed a estimate of $27,400 to resurface the walking trail at O-Mak-O-Hak Park. The original trail was installed in 2005, and has had cracks filled and sealed once since then. The city is going to request a written bid for the project.

•Webber reported that the $204,000 in ARPA funds received by the city had been put into the Water and Sewer account.

•Discussed Church Street extension to Dollar General.

•Webber suggested a plan to split the $170,000 negative balance from the former Cable Department among the other departments to clear it off the city’s books.

•Webber reported that fluoridation equipment had been ordered, and will work in the current plant as well as the new filtration plant, when it is built.

•Webber reported that the city had received approximately $1900 in FEMA reimbursement for flood damage in May of 2019.

•Discussed drainage on Sherwood Avenue.

•Discussed the need for the city police to step up enforcement of nuisance ordinance violation.

“We need to start hammering it,” Billing said. “I don’t care who we make mad.”

•Agreed to pay for the cemetery stone restoration completed to date. The contractor is obligated to finish the remaining five next year.

•Agreed to pour another cement pads for bleacher at the ball park.

•Agreed to install fencing along the south side of the airport driveway to limit parking on the runway and prevent congestion that has blocked ambulance access in the past.