The Meridian City Council is set to discuss projects involving the city’s freshwater wells in North Meridian as well as the removal of rotted or dangerous trees when it meets for a work session Tuesday.
The session, which is open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. in the third floor auditorium in city hall.
Council members previously discussed the planned removal of about 30 trees throughout the city that are rotten or otherwise pose a hazard to the community.
In the council’s Jan. 3 meeting, Community Development Director Craig Hitt said his department has about $30,000 budgeted for removing the trees. Based on estimates, Hitt told the council the allocated funds would only be enough to remove eight or nine of the problem trees.
The council is expected to discuss whether to move forward with the current funds, removing the trees most in need of immediate removal, or to look for additional funds and take bids on removing all trees at once.
Hitt encouraged the council to decide swiftly as bidding out all of the trees would mean roughly 60 more days before the hazards caused by the trees could be resolved.
North Meridian Water
In Tuesday’s work session, the city council is also expected to discuss its freshwater facilities in North Meridian. The city currently operates eight freshwater wells to supply North Meridian homes and businesses with water.
In May, Freshwater Superintendent Jimmy Eckman asked the council to authorize an emergency repair to the largest of the eight wells, which supplied more than 3 million gallons per day to residents’ homes.
Eckman explained the emergency repair was needed to get the well fixed before demand peaks in August and September.
Also in May, Eckman asked the council to sign off on a $14,800 professional services agreement with engineering firm Neel-Schaffer, Inc. for assistance with a corrosion issue in one of the North Meridian wells.
While the corrosion did not affect freshwater quality, Eckman said it was costing the city money. Repairs to the well had already cost roughly $250,000 since 1995, and, if left untreated, could result in the city needing an entirely new well at a cost of more than $2 million.
With or without repairs to the existing wells, Eckman told the council the city will eventually need to begin looking at drilling additional wells to meet the demand of its North Meridian users.
In other business, the council is expect to discuss:
• PERS, which is the state retirement system
• The Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade
• Sections of the city’s employee handbook pertaining to the appearance of city personnel and the employee dress code