Pickering officials discuss sewer pump issues in uninhabited properties

Pickering

At the March 5 Pickering City Council meeting, City Clerk Milt Sovereign said he planned to pull sewer pumps from vacated properties.

The pumps can be reinstalled if the property becomes inhabited. Sovereign is taking this action because the pump wells fill with water, causing damage to the pumps. He pulled a pump from a property that had been vacant for three years. He found that he had to rebuild it.

Sovereign also plans to do a “show and tell” at the next city council meeting on April 2. He’s going to bring a sewer pump and the various parts to repair it so that aldermen can see what is required to maintain and repair the pumps.

The city will advertise for mowing bids. Sovereign made the comment that if funds become too tight, the city would be reduced to seeking volunteers for mowing.

The condition of a major alley was discussed and the council approved repairs including blading and up to two loads of gravel. The city is going to request assistance from Union Township for the backhoe work. Alderman Kevin Leedom will donate fill dirt for a hole in the alley.

Mayor Charles Smith has found a person out of St. Joseph that spray coats streets. Smith is expecting a bid to be submitted after the individual visits Pickering and views street conditions.

KCP&L, which didn’t trim trees in Pickering in 2017, notified the council that the company will trim trees from power lines this spring.