CHARLESTOWN —
Charlestown resident makes appeal for filtration plant
City makes several board appointments
BY BRADEN LAMMERS
Braden.Lammers@newsandtribune.com
CHARLESTOWN — On the same day Project Clean Lines began, a request was made for Charlestown to construct a filtration plant to treat the city’s water.
The city of Charlestown began treating its water system with a chemical known as Clearitas on Monday, which is being called Project Clean Lines. The chemical is designed to break down a build up of manganese in the city’s water lines, which has caused discoloration in the drinking water.
But Charlestown resident Matt Burchett asked the Charlestown City Council to find a source of funding to construct a filtration plant at their meeting Monday night.
“The only concern that I have is it’s not going to treat the ongoing problem of the elevated manganese levels in the wells,” he said. “The Clearitas doesn’t do anything to remove that. I understand that we’re using sequestering agents to prevent it from populating in the lines and prevent sediment from forming, but it’s still coming into our homes. It’s still the water that we’re drinking and that’s not acceptable.”
Justin Harris, engineer with Saegesser Engineering Inc. who is working for the city on the project, has said previously that Clearitas will not fully remove manganese from the city’s water, but added there’s nothing unsafe about consuming it.
“I understand that manganese is a secondary contaminant and it’s not something that’s necessarily harmful to health,” Burchett said. “I would much prefer that the water that comes into my home have as little manganese in it as possible, as well as anything else. I just want water.”
He added the city had the money at one point in time and asked them to start appropriating funds or find the funds to begin building a filtration plant.
Burchett was referring to money former Charlestown Mayor Mike Hall held through a $500,000 federal earmark and a $525,000 state grant to fund the construction of a filtration plant. But the plan was not pursued when the administration changed.
Charlestown Mayor Bob Hall, who during his campaign for re-election said he would not build a filtration plant, designated $271,000 in the fall to begin addressing the city’s water problem.
The funding came from the city’s Economic Development Income Tax fund and paid for the rehabilitation of a million-and-a-half gallon water tank near Charlestown Landing Road, to clean a smaller 175,000-gallon tank near St. Catherine Hospital and for the Clearitas.
Hall said in the first year of use the chemical costs total about $75,000.
No action was taken on Burchett’s request Monday night, but the city has planned another meeting on the water treatment at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 27.
Keeping up-to-date
City Councilwoman Ruth Ann Rawlings had questions for Hall about the number of take home vehicles the city has and who is using them.
Hall said there are three vehicles, one for his use, one is used by the city’s Multimedia and Technology Coordinator John Spencer and a third was used by former Redevelopment Director Bob McEwen. He said that vehicle is no longer in use.
Rawlings also requested the costs for cell phones used by city employees and how much the city pays for the phones.
Clerk-Treasurer Donna Coomer said she will get the costs for Rawlings, but did not have them at the meeting.
Rawlings said after the meeting adjourned she raised the questions because she was curious about the costs.
She also asked about minutes from the Board of Public Works, the city’s Redevelopment Commission and the City Council meetings not being up to date. Spencer said he would have the issue resolved Tuesday.
In other business:
• The council unanimously amended an ordinance 2008-OR-12 that would pay former Charlestown Police Chief Steve Dean, who retired, to conduct auctions for the city for donated military equipment.
Dean will be paid $1,000 per month, as well as travel costs and other expenses associated with collecting the materials and holding the auction.
The equipment is donated to the city at no cost, Hall said. He added the auction last year raised $140,000 for the city and the money to pay Dean will come out of the auction proceeds raised.
• Keith McDonald was named to Dean’s replacement as Charlestown Police chief and Jason Broady was named assistant chief.
• A tap-in expense for water lines was removed by the city council as it unanimously approved rescinding ordinance 2004-OR-24. The former ordinance required residents pay a $250 tap-in fee if a property sat vacant two years or longer. The purpose of the ordinance was to ensure the water line was operating properly. But city officials said most of the properties that it applied to were rentals, which during the renovation process used the water and made the testing of the lines unnecessary.
“Since we’re not really collecting that fee it would be better to abolish the ordinance than to explain to the State Board of Accounts why we’re not collecting that fee,” said Charlestown City Attorney Mike Gillenwater.
• Charlestown’s council amended a salary ordinance 2012-OR-1 to include costs for uniforms for police officers.
Coomer explained that up to $1,000 was designated in the salary ordinance, but the actual cost was $1,400. She added the increase by $400 was still within the city’s budget amount.
• The council also made several board appointments Monday night. David Flowe was retained for another term on the city’s Planning and Zoning Board, along with Scott McKechnie and Kathy Cash. All appointments were unanimous.
In addition, the council unanimously named Paul Coyer to the Charlestown Board of Zoning Appeals.
Two new members were also added to the city’s Redevelopment Commission, Dan James and Donna Ennis. James was unanimously approved and Ennis was approved 4-1, with Jeff Aaron voting against.
