Sewers flood courthouse

Friday, March 14, 2003

Blocked city sewer line source of problem

CHARLESTON - A blocked city sewer line resulted in soaked floors for most of the Mississippi County Courthouse's first floor.

County Clerk Junior DeLay reported during Thursday's county commission meeting that water backing up from the sewers wet carpets and floors in the prosecutor's office, collector's office, the juvenile office, the treasurer's office, the Veterans Administration office and first floor hallways.

He explained that during the installation of the courthouse's filtration system Tuesday evening, the water was shut off. When the installation was complete, the water was turned back on to flush the lines with about 1,000 gallons of water.

The county has determined and the city admitted that the problem is at the city's sewer main. "It's where we attach to the main line," DeLay said.

"Enough's enough," said Presiding Commissioner Jim Blumenberg. "It's a problem, they need to address it. It's not our problem - it's the city's. Somebody needs to fix it."

Blumenberg said the commission will draft a letter asking for city officials to respond with "what we can expect from the city" in addressing the problem.

In other Mississippi County business:

* The county will pave a 600-foot section of county road alongside the parking lot for the DeLaney Lake facilities with the Missouri Department of Conservation paying for the materials, pending approval from the department.

"We bill you for the materials and we lay the road," Blumenberg said to Lewis McCann from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Blumenberg estimated the cost of materials for a two-inch blacktop cap on the 20-foot-wide road would be no more than $1,500.

Commissioners offered to pave the road as the new concrete crosswalk originally planned there by the Conservation Department to connect lakeside facilities with the parking area would be covered or damaged as the gravel road is graded during regular maintenance.

McCann said blacktopping the road will not only solve the grading problem but will also be great for reducing dust near the lakeside facilities.

Improvements to the area including concrete handicapped parking spaces, a pavilion, restrooms, a new dock, a fish cleaning station and concrete sidewalks connecting features will go out for bid to contractors soon, McCann said.

* Commissioners accepted the low bid of $13,000 from Integrated Computers of East Prairie and Charleston for a 42-inch wide plotter printer for the assessor's office to make maps with.

The cost includes extending warranty coverage to a total of three years.

Also bidding were Anderson Computer Company of Charleston which bid $14,545 and DLT Solutions of Herndon, Va., which bid $13,404.

* The county has received preliminary approval for solid waste funds to purchase a limb chipper pending some adjustments to the local matching funds figures.

* Commissioner Homer Oliver said he will tour county roads in his district to begin planning for the coming blacktopping season.

Blumenberg said the county still doesn't have a price on blacktopping oil.

* Citizens Bank was approved as the collector's depository for a three-year contract.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: