Williamsburg residents being told to fix their sewer

By months end, Williamsburg leaders plan to send out nearly 200 letters to local residents informing them about defects found in the waste water treatment system on their property.

Mayor Roddy Harrison said the letters would notify property owners that they have 60 days to correct the problem, which in most cases will involve hiring a plumber unless the residents can fix the problem themselves. This doesn’t include money the city will have to spend to correct problems on public property.

Harrison informed the Williamsburg City Council about the letters during its monthly meeting Monday at Williamsburg City Hall, and he gave them an update on efforts to bring the city’s waste water system into compliance with state and federal standards.

“The bottom line is we have inflow and infiltration. We are going to have to fix some things. It’s an old town,” Harrison noted.

The city is being forced to make repairs after being cited by the Kentucky Division of Water for violations to its waste water treatment system, and has entered into an agreed order with the division of water over steps it would take to correct the problem.

So far much of the work has involved testing and reports to the division of water over problems found and efforts to fix it.

The problems individual property owners will have to fix were discovered during smoke testing in September and October of 90 percent of the waste water system lines, or 180,00 linear feet.

Harrison said that the city skipped testing on the newest 10 percent of the system.

While 191 defects were found on private property, 359 were found on public property that the city will have to fix.

So far city leaders have spent over $100,000 on testing and corrections to the system, and are expected to spend about $70,000 more this fiscal year. This includes about $50,000 to test up to 400 manholes this spring.

This amount doesn’t include a new pump station for Briar Creek Park, and other work there that will cost over $900,000.

“We are going to have to be as aggressive as we can to get it fixed. There is no way we can fix this in the next couple of years, but we can get started,” Harrison said.

The council also heard from local resident Eva Reynolds about problems on Rice Street, including lots with over grown weeds, animals running loose and biting people, inside furniture being kept outside, and junked cars along the street and on private lots.

“It’s sad when you and your sister live one block apart and can’t walk to each other’s house without getting dog bit,” Reynolds told the council. “I view this every day. It is terrible.”

She noted that some cars have been parked there for eight years.

Several council members agreed that her complaints are valid.

“It’s really like a junk yard full of old cars,” said Councilwoman Erica Harris.

She added that it’s a shame Rice Street sits in the middle of town, and is one of the worst streets in the county.

“It’s a mess,” agreed Councilman Troy Sharp.

Harrison said that he would contact Whitley County Animal Control Officer Wayne Perkins about the animals running loose.
Police Chief Wayne Bird said he would start impounding abandoned vehicles parked along streets, but said there isn’t anything he can do about ones on private lots.

Harrison said he would have the city attorney look into issuing citations for violations of the city’s nuisance ordinance.
Reynolds added that she plans to hold city leaders to their promises to help.
In other business, the city council:

• Approved the audit for fiscal year 2009-2010 by Marr, Miller and Myers Certified Public Accountants.
Councilman Richard Foley said one section of the audit notes that new development hadn’t taken place to bring in additional revenue to help offset the increased costs of city services.

He also inquired about the difference in revenue for the waterpark, which was about $80,000 less than the prior fiscal year after what he thought had been a very good summer.

City Clerk Teresa Black noted that much of the revenue from this summer was in July, which will be listed in the current fiscal year audit. The 2009-2010 fiscal year ran from July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010.

• Discussed the police department’s new policy and procedures manual. Bird presented council members with a proposed version of the manual on CD, and said that the new manual is about 95 percent complete.
Bird said that he hopes to present a final version manual next month, and have the second reading for it in April.

• Re-appointed Larry Prindle to the Williamsburg Housing Authority Board.