City discusses illegal filling at ‘Water Boy’
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The City of Chrisman held their last meeting of the month on November 21st. Mayor Danny Owen was not present at the meeting, leaving Commissioner Cory Chaney to act as Mayor.
The meeting began with the previous meeting minutes being approved as well as claims in the amount of $39,305.94. Building permits were granted for 410 West Jefferson, 202 East Washington and 221 North Illinois.
The license with Ingrum Waste Disposal was approved, but to move further, the document needed the signature of Mayor Owen. In unfinished business, the Epps Building was tabled by Commissioner Bryan Haddix.
Commissioner Thad Crispin received a quote for Feutz Contractors in Paris to assist with the storm drain repair. The quote was in the amount of $24,600.
“That was going off of the design sheet from the engineer,” Crispin said. “Plus cleaning up so much, replacing so much and putting a man hole in the alley.” The man hole would be in the alley by the Humrichous residence.
Crispin spoke to the engineer to see if the city should bid out to see what they could get. “He said if we do that, we may not receive any more bids and at minimum we’re looking at next year to do it,” Crispin said. “He recommended that if we wanted to get it done, this would be our best bet.”
The funding for the project is able to be completed with NFT funds. Crispin made a motion to get it taken care of with Haddix seconding it.
If the project were to be postponed, anyone in that two block radius would experience flooding in the spring.
In regards to the solar project, Crispin placed a phone call to the company. The representative who called the city was taken off the project a few days later, after speaking with the city. “I don’t know where they stand on that. I don’t know whose doing it exactly,” Crispin said.
Commissioner Haddix brought up a couple of issues that he had with the ‘Water Boy’, the filing machine on Washington where those who live in the country fill up their tanks to empty into their wells.
The coin mechanism has been there since the machine was built, but now it’s starting to jam up. “I think it’s time to maybe look into a new coin mechanism,” Commissioner Haddix said.
City Clerk Lela Ramey said that residents have come into report that the machine was jamming up, leaving them without the ability to get water for their wells.
Commissioner Haddix reported that a man was illegally filling tanks at the water boy. There’s a quick disconnect at the pipe that comes down. The man had a couple of square 275 gallon tanks on his trailer.
He has them where they are hooked together and he climbs up there and unhooks it, then hooks his hose directly to it. “He force fills his tanks,” Haddix said. “I thought when I saw him do that, it probably wasn’t legal.”
Haddix then called the water engineer and he confirmed that this was illegal. Haddix told Michael Burgess to get it fixed so this can no longer happen. “I told him to make it where it can not be disconnected and I will be glad to look into the coin mechanism,” Haddix said.
Haddix also stated that he may be getting into some issues with the water.
He received a call from the Waste Water Engineer and it seems like five of the six of the sewer samples have not made it to Peoria.
“We’re facing some more fines unless it can be smoothed out somehow,” Haddix said. “I had a pretty serious talk with Michael (Burgess) about how things were going and where they were headed if this didn’t get straightened out right away.”
Haddix instructed Burgess to get on the phone with the lab to call and see why they don’t have them and call UPS to see what they have to say. Currently, no one in the city office even knows the tracking numbers. They only see the samples when they go out the door to be delivered.
“You will know those from now on,” Haddix said.
The water samples usually have to be driven to Peoria due to being time sensitive. The sewer samples are able to be mailed. Haddix stated that he’s been keeping an eye out on the water, but doesn’t want to overstep.
The meeting went into a brief executive session, then moved onto reports from the commissioners.
Commissioner Crispin said that he had been contacted about the Veteran’s Memorial to get names put on. “Today, I got a hold of Spence Monument, who put it up,” Crispin said. “But I also got a hold of them four or five months ago with no call back.”
Crispin stated that numerous emails had been sent, but he has received no response. Crispin then called Adams Memorial in Charleston, but they’re wanting (close to) $200 per name to put them on.
“She said it would probably next year before they could get to it,” Crispin said. “I’m hoping if I can stay on Spence Monument this week, we can hear back from them to get it done.”
Crispin said that he wasn’t sure if there was an agreement that the city had to go through Spence to put names on the memorial between the Legion before they took over.
Before the City took over, it was discussed that names would be added once a year, pending the presentation of their DD214 or something from the Legion as proof. Crispin said they’ve been trying for at least six months to get the names on the memorial.
In Commissioner Cory Chaney’s report, he said that he had been asked about donations being made to help the city purchase Christmas decorations.
“We’re more than willing to take donations from those wanting to make them,” Chaney said. “Just stop by the office here and get with the girls and we’ll purchase more decorations.”
