Street improvements, wastewater treatment Claremont council topics

Needed street improvements and an update on the wastewater treatment plant were among the topics discussed by the Claremont City Council at their April meeting last week.
Councilmember Marie Lindblom, a member of the Public Works Committee, gave an update on the streets the committee has determined are in need of repair.
These include Church Street from East Street to Hayes Street, Third Street from County Road 1 to Wheat, Elm Street in front of City Hall and possibly Wheat Street.
Wheat Street, she said, is dependant on whether they can go under the street and take a sewer line to the CHS development.
Lindblom said the engineering consultants have said that if Elm Street is repaired now the city can prevent a total replacement in the future.
The total cost for all projects, she said, is estimated at $152,000. Broken down by individual projects, she said the estimates include $24,000 for Church Street, $100,000 for Third Street, $14,000 for Wheat Street and $13,500 for Elm Street.
The amount in the budget for street repair is currently at $75,000, she said. The city could take the rest from the 4M Fund and put it back in the fund at a rate of $20,000 a year or the cost could be assessed.
“Those streets need to be done,” said Councilmember Michelle Welch.
No decisions were made but the Public Works Committee is to get more information and report back to the full council.
Public Works Committee members also reported that the Wastewater Treatment Plant is being cleaned primarily because of the disposable wipes that are not really flushable that have restricted airflow and reduced the plants efficiency.
The pumps also should be cleaned every two years, she said, and that has not been done.
The water tower will also be cleaned using a low-pressure method for $3,400 and be completed by Hog Fest. The council approved having Water Tower Mixing Systems do the work.
Problems with traffic at the trailer park were also discussed.
Council members reported that the park manager had called the city because people are driving around the blockades that were installed on Julia Street to control traffic through the park. Council members said they had done all they could do by blocking the street.
Drivers are driving through the homeowner’s yard, the free lots and off the curb, the park manager said.
Council members were told a truck with a trailer was seen driving around the barricade and the license number reported to the Sheriff’s Office but no action taken. Council member Rick Butler said he would contact Sheriff Scott Rose about the incident.