By Jolene Farley
Hills City Council members had many unanswered questions concerning the proposed $219,000 rural water improvements at their meeting Tuesday.
Dan Cook, Rock County Rural Water Manager, will be invited to the next council meeting to answer those questions.
Improvements proposed by Rock County Rural Water so far would include the installation of a six-inch line from two miles north of Hills to the northern edge of town.
Council members noted the proposal didn’t include replacing the four-inch line from the edge of town to the water tower. Not replacing the line would mean water supply would increase but water pressure wouldn’t.
"Everything else will stay the same," said city employee Wayne Ward. "They’re not changing anything in the water plant."
Mayor Jim Jellema said the line should be replaced to the water tower as part of the project.
A citizen voiced his opinion that rural water seemed to be enhancing their system at the cities’ expense.
After reviewing the initial contract from Rock County Rural Water, council member Linus Svoboda asked for the official plans and specifications on the improvements.
The council also questioned why the contract guarantees certain usage only during off-peak periods. The off-peak periods aren’t specified in the contract.
"If we go with that six-inch line, why should there have to be an off-peak," said Jellema?
"If you bore in the six-inch line you should have water when you want it and no off-peak," agreed Ward.
The council tentatively decided to finance the improvements, once agreed upon, through the Exchange State Bank at 5.25 percent interest.
Rock County Rural Water had agreed to finance the improvements at 5.5 percent interest for 20 years.
Personnel
The council voted to change the benefit structure for two city employees. The employees will receive three weeks of vacation for ten years of service with one day for each year after ten years. One month of vacation time is the maximum accumulation.
The council agreed to increase the percentage of health insurance premium the city pays for city employee Wayne Ward from 70 percent to 75 percent in lieu of comp time and shift-off time.
"Right now we have three or four different systems going," Svoboda said of the current benefit and wage package.
Both employees also received a 35-cent hourly wage increase.
City treasurer Joann Goehle refused a pay increase.
Council members didn’t vote on a pay raise for themselves.
"We don’t know what the taxes will do," said Jellema. "I’m not doing this for the money."
Specific information on the wages of city officials and employees is public information available at city hall upon request.
In other business …
The city will no longer burn leaves and branches on the southern edge of town. Another hole will be dug on rural property owned by Doug Chapman, and small branches will be transported for burning.
This should alleviate smoke at the football field and in residential areas.
The council also discussed putting up a fence with a gate around the dump area to stop unauthorized dumping and traffic. The council tabled the idea until spring.
After reviewing the bills, the council instructed Ward to purchase items for the city in Hills whenever possible.