CEDAR CREEK LAKE–East Cedar Creek Fresh Water Supply District’s (ECCFWSD) Board of Directors voted June 21 to approve a request for permission by the City of Payne Springs to build a city impound lot on district-owned land that the city leases.
The approval includes a caveat that Payne Springs is to pay for all engineering costs, including a utility review, and all follow-up inspections.
Payne Springs City Council held a May 16 discussion about whether to build a new impound lot adjacent to city hall. Payne Springs City Manager Tawnya Austin said Payne Springs currently uses a Gun Barrel City impound lot and that the city is looking into using part of about four acres for which it has a long-term lease from ECCFWSD to build such a lot.
Austin told the council May 16 that ECCFWSD expressed reservations about using that land for an impound lot because the water district wants no contamination of its adjacent property, which it irrigates and for which it performs soil sample testing.
ECCFWSD put in safeguards to make sure that doesn’t happen. “I think we’ve covered all our bases on this,” Board President Jim Willi said. ECCFWSD General Manager James Blodgett anticipates inspections to make sure the property slopes, for example. “As long as we stay on top of it, we’ll be good,” responded Willi, who reiterated that the inspections would make sure the drainage from the impound lot avoids adjacent ECCFWSD property.
The board also approved repairing Lift Station 62 for $6,136.67, an unexpected expenditure to be paid out of operating reserves. Blodgett explained to the board the work includes stabilizing the grinder tank at the lift station, which he speculated could be associated with ground conditions.
In addition, the board approved purchasing leak detection equipment for $3,952.68 to be paid out of operating reserves for an unexpected expenditure. The equipment is based on sound, Blodgett said, and includes items such as a headset and magnet to detect leaks on pipes and valves, for example. According to the general manager, workers can go house to house and listen for leaks, for instance.
In other business, the board:
• Approved repairing the roof on the district’s Utility Service Center not to exceed $10,000 to be paid out of operating reserves for an unexpected expenditure.
• Approved the revised Employee Policy Manual.
• Heard Personnel, Operations and Finance committee reports.
• Reviewed May financial reports.
• Approved paying bills.