By Beth Day/Times of Pott County
The City of St. George has received an official letter from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment regarding its water supply.
St. George has been experiencing high nitrate levels for some time and has begun the process of designing a water treatment facility.
Brian Foster, BG Consultants, who serves as the city’s engineer, told the council Thursday that the city had received a letter violation.
“It (the letter) is requesting a response by Aug. 14, on whether to enter into a consent order. If you don’t respond, you will receive an administrative order,” he said.
Foster explained a consent order will allow the city’s representatives to sit down with KDHE and come up with a plan to correct the problem. The city must meet the deadlines and milestones set up in the plan. With an administrative order, KDHE will come in and tell the city what to do and when to do it.
“If you ask my opinion, I would say respond very soon,” Foster said. “Ask to sit down and enter into a consent agreement. I can respond to them, saying what we want to do and set up a meeting. I’m sure Todd (Luckman, city attorney) will want to be involved.”
Foster also spoke with council on the design process. The city needs to look at projected population growth and need. “Realistically, based on the last 10 years and projected out to 2040, the demand will double, or triple at most,” he said.
He proposed a design which would allow expansion to that demand. “But it may not make sense to build in that size, or put in all the components you may not need for 40 plus years,” he said. He also mentioned if St. George would want to become a wholesaler of water, that would increase the plant’s capacity needs.
Mayor Debby Werth asked if a plant could be built with expansion in mind, and Foster responded it could.
Finally, Foster noted it was time for the city to look at potential locations, and the council entered into an executive session later that night to discuss various possibilities.
Meeting Change
The city passed an ordinance officially moving council meetings to the first Thursday of each month. The change was made to accommodate the city attorney’s new schedule. It will be effective in September, with the meeting being Sept. 5.
SRTS Meeting Set
Werth reported the packets regarding the easements needed for the Safe Routes to School project have been sent out to the property owners.
“We’ve already had a couple calls from people on different things,” she said. “(For example) they don’t know where the property lines are, how many trees they are taking, etc.”
Foster proposed a town hall meeting to answer questions. He said he could have several engineers present so they could break into small groups.
The meeting was set for 7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 20, at Lighthouse Baptist Church.
Miscellaneous Business
• Street Work. Half of 3rd Street is paved and the contractors are waiting for an inlet to do the other side. Second street is still torn up, and the contractors will be putting rock down soon.
• Daras. The council met in executive session to discuss negotiations for an easement to extend the city’s sewer system to Dara’s.
• Camping Ordinance. The council made a few tweaks cleaning up the proposed camping ordinance eliminating the need for permitting, and requested a map or diagram be added for clarification.
• Pool Ordinance. A brief discussion was held on the proposed pool ordinance, but there were no changes. Any pool ordinance the city decides on would not go into effect until 2025.
• Sewer Easement. The city asked BG to put together a legal description on the easement needed to bring a sewer line to the Hartwich Brothers development north of town. Foster said the fee would be $3,500 as his firm as not yet surveyed that area. The council agreed.
• Rezoning. The council approved rezoning 606 Countryside from mobile homes to RVs. It was a procedural item to reflect the current usage.
• The KAWNsas Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 24. The kickoff will be a 10 a.m. parade.
