Officials learn about ‘boil water’ notices
Lake Santeetlah – The town experienced a water line break along Nantahala Terrace over the past month, during which town officials learned about the need to issue “boil water” notifications to water customers affected by the break.
The 6-inch line fractured in two places beneath the road and was repaired by public works technician Scott Kamps and town resident Jack Gross.
It took about two days for the repair to be completed.
Town officials learned that “boil water” notices must be distributed any time water line pressure drops below 20 pounds per square inch, so the town will be sending out the notices moving forward.
Boiling water is recommended whenever there is the possibility of pathogens infiltrating water lines and coming out customers’ taps.
Some users at higher elevations in the town experience water pressure dips below 20 psi during power outages, so they will be getting “boil water” notices whenever that happens.
Other news and notes
* Town officials are still working out an agreement with the Town of Robbinsville to rent a water line detection device.
The cost is expected to be $250 a week spread out over several months for a total of about $5,500 – about a third of the cost of the least expensive option if the town bought the machine outright.
The town’s water system is decades old and has
never been formally mapped.
“I’m looking forward to having our water pipes found,” said Mayor Connie Gross.
* The exit gate on Cherokee Trail at Thunderbird Mountain Road has been malfunctioning and has been left open until it can be repaired.
Cherokee Trail is at the end of a one-way loop and the gate prevents motorists from entering in the wrong direction.
* The town has $13,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds and a dilemma about what to do with it. The town had considered using it for water fund projects, but administering the money and advertising for bids would eat into the funds.
Town Administrator Kim Matheson attended a class where she learned the funds can be used as revenue replacement. One scenario would be the money would be used for salaries, with an equal amount removed from salaries and used for other purposes.
“It’s a whole lot easier for us to do that,” Matheson said.
* The council voted to approve and make public 16 closed session minutes between October 2019 and March of this year.
Mayor Gross said the minutes needed to be approved so the town could close the books on those meetings.
* The town’s three employees will benefit from a more generous retirement plan that will see the town’s contribution increased from 3 percent to 10.
The council budgeted $10,000 in the 2022-23 budget, but entry into the new plan won’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2023.
Council member Jim Hager wondered whether the town could afford such a generous contribution and member Diana Simon wondered if the town could ever afford a new water generator. Still, the council voted unanimously to proceed with the new plan.
* With winter weather coming up, town officials are urging residents to keep town streets clear of vehicles and equipment to make it easier to treat the streets before snow and plow the streets following a snow storm.
Council member Simon urged the town to schedule leaf pickups for mid-November rather than early November to ensure that most fallen leaves get picked up during the work.
* Town Hall will be closed Oct. 24 and 25 while staff undergoes training.