Commissioners close block grant process

The Churchill County Commissioners agreed at their Wednesday meeting to close the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application process and not submit any application for funding to the Governor’s Office for Economic Development.

Shannon Ernst, director of Social Services, and Marie Henson, county building inspector, presented their findings.

Ernst said the CDBG process started in October and was noted the criteria that had to be met in order to follow through with the grant.

Henson said Churchill County acquired the then privately owned Pine Grove wastewater system in 2007. She said the wastewater system was an older system as well.

“The lift station has become a large manpower and maintenance issue,” Henson said. “With a lift station failure, there is no back up or work around. Failure means that the houses in that part of the subdivision could be subject to sewage spills in the street and possibly into the homes.”

She said the major maintenance issues include the use of an in-line sieve that have to be pulled out by hand to be cleaned a minimum of once a day and often twice a day. If the debris is not removed and continues into the pump, the pump becomes clogged and stops, causing alarm and backups.

“The debris also causes the pump to wear out faster than normal, causing the pumps to need to be repaired or replaced more often,” Henson said.

Henson said another issues is the wastewater collection lines go through the back yards of residential parcels, rather than in the road easements. She said buildings, fences, trees and landscaping have been placed unknowingly blocking access to the manholes and lines, hampering the clearing of roots and maintaining the proper flows.

Henson said the issues could be fixed with an extension of the Dallas Drive collection line, a gravity flow line would be installed and the Dallas Lift Station would be shut down and removed.

“That would alleviate the daily maintenance issues and possible spills,” She said. “The extension of Dallas Drive collection line would allow those parcels to be reconnected to a line in a public easement, allowing for a better flow and easy access for any maintenance issues.”

Ernst said since the majority of the residents do not meet the criteria for the CDBG to follow through with the plan for the wastewater system. She also said that there have not been another CDBG submissions for 2016.

Other items approved or discussed by the county commissioners include the following:

Tabled motion to Adopt Bill 2014-F, Ordinance 32 until the Dec. 4 county commissioners meeting.

Approved the local regulated tariff number 17 changes.

Approved the canvass of the votes of the Official Churchill County General Election held Nov. 4 and directed the clerk to enter upon the records an abstract of the results containing the number of votes cast for each candidate and directing her to certify the same, to make a copy thereof, to complete an mechanized report of the abstract in compliance with the regulations adopted by the Secretary of State, and to transmit them to the Secretary of State not more than seven working days after the election.

Approved lease rate value for county-owned property located on Pioneer Way and resolution 24-2014 a resolution declaring the lease of certain county-owned property is in the best interest of the county and declaring the county’s intent to place the property for bid.

Approved renewal of professional services contract for Jacob Sommer and David Neidert for legal services until Nov. 30, 2015.