Pickering discusses town’s improvements

At the July 3 Pickering City Council meeting, aldermen, the mayor and city clerk discussed the current status of improvement projects.

The park project is “pretty well done” said City Clerk Milt Sovereign. To water the planted grass, Alderman Kevin Leedom worked out an arrangement with the Public Water Supply District to put the amount over his average water usage in a separate bill which amounted to $35 with no sewer charges. The council approved payment. Two loads of river wash gravel from Ankeny, IA, have been added around the swing set. Zimmerman Hauling and Construction was paid $2,004  from the American Rescue Plan for delivery.

Strueby Plumbing was paid $1,010 for removing two truckloads of waste from the primary septic tank at the sewer plant. The aldermen approved $600 to $700 for plywood to cover the sewer plant liner. This will prevent further sun damage. The city doesn’t want to replace the liner because of the cost.

A maple tree has split into two large pieces in the south city park. Mayor Charles Smith is going to look for bids to remove not to exceed $1,500.

A Harmon Street tube needs to be repaired. To replace the whole 18-inch tube would cost the city over $2,000. Discussion was held on a quick-fix with concrete poured down the hole. The other approach would be to find a six to eight feet tube to join into the existing tube.

Resident Duane Gross is putting a modular house on a lot which had previously been the site of a home which burned down. To hook up sewer, the city will reuse the existing sewer well, install the control box and sewer pump. The homeowner will need to buy the connecting electrical.

Two discarded 12 inch plastic tubes will be given to a Pickering resident.

The White Cloud Engineering, Maryville, contract was renewed for the first time since 2007. The monthly payment will now be $380 per month. The aldermen approved. White Cloud will perform the following tasks:

• Biweekly: check overall plant operation and look for system malfunctions or problems; monitor flow at the plant outflow weir.

• Monthly: verify pump operation, record pump run times and verify float operation; program PLC controllers if necessary.

• Quarterly: DNR required wastewater sampling and testing and submission of monitoring reports; inspect all bio-tube pump vault filters and effluent filters.

• Bi-yearly: check and record sludge levels in tanks.

• Yearly : inspect and clean bio-tube pump vault filters and effluent filters; completely flush the filter bed; check for leaks in distribution header and manifold; inspect and clean all plant pumps.

Items not included in this proposal: repairs will be billed at $65 per hour plus materials; chlorine and de-chlorine tablets will be billed separately. Pickering currently adds chlorine and de-chlorine tablets as needed April 1 through October 31; mowing or upkeep of treatment plant grounds; sludge removal.