The Carroll County Board of Supervisors reviewed a proposal to upgrade the flow meter in the Maple River wastewater system. Auditor, Kourtney Irlbeck, explained the issue and the thoughts of Jared Hays, who is the contracted operator.
The recommendation is to replace it at a cost of $3,362.60. Not only is the cost to repair continuing to rise, but also because reports are generated from the meter and it is outdated, they are paying more fees to Hays at a $50 per hour rate. There are currently 35 customers on the Maple River system, paying $55 a month for the wastewater service. These repair costs and the aggressive repayment on a loan for the system keep the fund from being able to gain any ground and the cash is not on hand for the replacement project. Irlbeck suggested an alternative.
Irlbeck adds that the rate per user is already high and she does not believe that a rate adjustment would be fair to cover the costs. Neil Bock asks about a balance in the sewer fund, which is really a safety net for emergency issues and gets used to repay the loan and to cover the cost of Hays’ services. Bock says with the pressure to pay back a long-term note, he is not sure offering another loan really helps them out.
Dean Schettler made a suggestion for a way to repay the note on a more rapid pace.
That proposal would likely have to be stretched to three months to cover the other expenses associated with the system. No decision was reached at Monday’s meeting and the issue will be added to the agenda for the next regularly scheduled meeting, Monday, Nov. 5 at 9 a.m. in the board room at the Carroll County Courthouse.
