Public Works Director Simon Wiley said at Monday’s Eureka Springs City Council meeting that sewer rehab project will get a rate analysis on Wednesday, May 15. Currently, everything in the plant is working with the focus on pumping down the sludge basin and treating it.
Alderman David Avanzino said he had seen on social media that a drainage ditch was being tested for contamination after a fish kill incident. Wiley responded that a four-gallon sample was collected from Leatherwood Creek and tested, and although results were inconclusive, the fish kill didn’t appear to be related to water quality.
Alderman Steven Holifield mentioned that he had smelled sewage on Benton St. near the community center and asked if any leaks or issues had been reported. Wiley said no, and promised to investigate on Tuesday morning.
Alderman Terry McClung asked for updates on water leaks and Wiley said that as of this week there are zero reported or known water leaks, the first time in his tenure that this has been the case.
McClung asked about water billing as some citizens have reported overly high bills. McClung said he had even received a bill printed upside down.
Wiley responded that there have been problems with the computer program, as in an incident when one customer was charged per gallon rather than per thousand gallons, resulting in a bill over $200,000, but this had been caught and corrected. Wiley admitted that some bills have slipped “through the cracks.”
Alderman Harry Meyer asked what a rate analysis entailed, and Wiley said it was looking at the infrastructure as a whole – not just the wastewater plant, but also collection and distribution systems.
He added that Public Works needs to create a program to deal with the aging infrastructure, describing how White Street has three water mains when it should only have one, and clay lines and old sewer covers need replacing.
Meyer pressed about above ground service lines that were in danger of being hit by trees or having other accidents and causing leaks, because according to city code the lines should be buried. Wiley said the building inspector has been dealing with that problem, since Public Works can’t get involved in “the private side of things.”
Non water-related issues
The second reading, in title only, of Ord. 2351 banning confetti, was read and passed unanimously.
City Clerk Ida Meyer brought up the request for a public conveyance by Tesla Taxi, explaining that the taxi code for Eureka Springs requires a certificate of conveyance, which the owner was requesting, but that currently goes against state laws.
She recommended they “clean up the code” at a future meeting and approve the business owner since he is doing what the city requires even though the state doesn’t. City Attorney Forrest Jacobi was asked if this was acceptable, and said he would research it.
Apparently the state, because of legal issues with Uber and Lyft, took away cities’ rights to regulate taxis. The license was granted, and the code will be discussed and fixed for the next meeting.
Council then reviewed and voted on a resolution for Rule 4 for the Fire Pension Board to raise retirement funds through the use of alternate cash flow. Ida Meyer noted that Eureka Springs has one of the best rated actuarial valuations in the state to allay the questions from several alderman.
Res. 860 adopting the Pension Review Board, Rule 4, passed unanimously.
Harry Meyer requested that the May 27 meeting be cancelled since it would fall on a holiday weekend, all aldermen agreed.