PHILLIPSBURG — Board member Kevin Koontz said his investigation of the new endpoints for the water meters indicated the meters were 20 years old and probably would need to be replaced soon.
“If the meters are old, you will get erroneous readings on the meters,” he said.
The points and meters would cost $116,000, while the endpoints themselves would be $54,000, but as the plans to buy PFAS-free water from the City of Union require the endpoint replacement, Koontz said the village is trying to include the cost in the EPA grant the village is seeking.
Jackie Wysong wondered if it could be just as cheap to charge a flat fee and forget about the meters, as places like Verona does. But Montgomery County bases its sewage fees on the water use. No one present was on the board when the sewer contract was signed, so members decided to look up the contract.
There will be a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19, where citizens can get an update on the project.
For the last few months, a groundhog has been trying to chew his way into the building at the Phillipsburg water tower.
Water Commissioner Wendell Harleman said at the Sept 12 meeting of the Board of Public Affairs that the animal avoided the live trap he set and is no longer a problem.
But after avoiding Harleman’s trap and failing to get into the building (and thus not biting into the wires on the other side of the wall), the varmint apparently became discouraged, fell victim to a predator, or moved on to a more tasty village. (Obviously, Harleman really doesn’t care which.)
He was more concerned with the rusted-off bumper on the department truck. He presented a quote from JW Devers in Trotwood for $1,500. Combs asked if he had gotten other estimates, and he said the others “were $2,000 to $5,000.”
Since he uses the truck both for the water department and the street department duties, he will ask the council to pay for half of it, and the board authorized the $750 expense.
The next meeting of the board will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, in the municipal building 10868 Brookville Phillipsburg Rd.
