BURTON CITY COUNCIL APPROVES PURCHASE OF KNITTEL LIFT STATION PUMP
Burton City councilmembers agreed to purchase a new pump for the Knittel Lift Station at Tuesday’s meeting.
The council decided to move forward with replacement of the pump, after utility contractor Dustin Lozano presented warranty information.
Lozano stated, if the council were to pursue repair of the current pump, which was installed in 2003, only one year of warranty would be available for the repaired pump. However, if the council purchased a new pump, that one would be covered for five years.
The council said, while the current pump is still doing fine, it has exceeded its life expectancy. They figured it would be more responsible to get a new pump with full warranty, rather than repair an old pump and receive limited warranty.
Replacement of the current pump will cost roughly $7,000. Repair of the old pump was estimated at over half that cost, around $3,800. Lozano said it should take six to eight weeks for the new pump to arrive, once the order is placed.
Also in session, the council approved the 2019-20 general and water/sewer budgets. A hearing on the city’s budgets has been set for 5:30 p.m. on March 12th.
City Secretary Angela Harrington spoke on the city’s continued need to have an audit performed by a third party, saying it hasn’t been done in over a decade. The lack of an audit is the reason the city did not apply for a grant to help with costs for the possible drilling of a backup water well by the February 7th deadline. She said, since audits are typically done every year, this audit could be “very lengthy”.
Harrington also said that recently, two engineering firms the city has previously consulted with over the well asked how the city was doing on that front. Harrington said she told them the city essentially had to “pull the plug” on it, due to the lack of an audit.
The council also agreed to set up a Neighborhood Watch Program. Mayor David Zajicek said the program would greatly benefit the elderly in the community, and could potentially be tied into programs in the City of Brenham and Washington County.
The city also:
- Set up the city election for May 4th. The position of mayor, as well as council positions 1 and 4, will be up for election. The city set up election contracts to have early voting during regular business hours at Burton City Hall, as well as host the election at Burton schools.
- Heard the 2018 Racial Profiling Report, a yearly Burton Police Department report.
- Moved $13,000 from the city’s utility fund to utility savings. Harrington said rates were raised in January of 2018, in expectation of drilling a backup water well. She said these funds will be set aside for other purposes they were originally meant for.
- Adopted junk and garbage ordinance.