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Hamilton's water and sewer department receives high honor
By Cindy Iutzi/Gate City Staff Writer
HAMILTON, Ill. - The City of Hamilton has completed a $500,000 sewer repair and lining project it started in November 2007 and will turn its attention to the Ninth Street lift station replacement project and associated sewer repairs.
At the recommendation of engineering consultant firm McClure Engineering, Macomb, Ill., the city will hold back 15 percent of the contractor's payment until it is certain that everything works properly with the recent work, said Tim Schilson, superintendent of the Water and Sewer Department.
Hamilton has had about one-fifth of its sewer system televised, repaired and lined. The project was funded in part by a $350,000 Community Development Assistance Program grant.
Preparations for the estimated $1.2 million Ninth Street lift station project already have begun with pre-application for a low interest loan from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
“We were told by the EPA to fix it,” Schilson said. “We've had several overflows into Railroad Creek.”
The $1.2 million cost estimate includes replacement of the Ninth Street lift station and force main, line 16,150 linear feet of eight-inch sewer lines, grout 18 manholes, install nine new manholes, replace 27 manhole lids, replace seven sanitary sewer segments and make repairs at selected locations.
The proposed schedule on the pre-application calls for bids to be advertised by April 2009, contract award in May 2009 and completion of construction in November 2009.
In other department business, Schilson said McClure Engineering has come up with a preliminary contract for the operation of the Elvaston water system for City Attorney Stan Tucker to review. Also, after checking the sewer at John Mason's property on Keokuk Street, the department decided that neither the highway nor the city are responsible for the sewer problem and will not pay for repairs.
Schilson said his department was awarded a plaque by the Illinois Department of Public Health recently for maintaining the highest standard of fluoride compliance for five consecutive years, 2003 to 2007.
Former Hamilton Mayor Ken DeYong visited the meeting and briefly discussed two concerns.
“We need to reinstate a spring cleanup by contracting haulers and having no limit on what people can set out,” DeYong said. “It could be an old box, it could be an old stove.”
DeYong also asked the city council to study the proposed closing of Tower Road, arrive at a position and send the city's position to Montebello Township trustees.
Last year, W. L. Miller Company asked township trustees to close Tower Road so that Gray Quarry Inc. could expand its gravel pit at the edge of Hamilton through the roadway to property on the other side.
Several Hamilton residents visited a city council meeting and opposed the road closure.
“With 2,000 people traveling on it, it's no longer just a road, it's a highway,” DeYong said. “It's a community's link with the rest of the area. I believe that turning that road into a quarry would limit the city's ability to expand in that direction.”
DeYong believes that in the future a four-lane highway will be built between Carthage, Ill., and would then head south from Hamilton, possibly through the expansion area.
The property involved in the proposed expansion is zoned for agriculture purposes. Gray Quarry would have to seek a variance from the Hamilton Zoning Commission to convert the zoning to mining uses.
The City of Hamilton has hired Bruce Biagini of Macomb, who specializes in zoning, to represent the city's interests.
In other business the city council:
n Reminded council members that the Zoning Commission will hear a request for zoning change for Leverage Investments, LLC for Hero Park Subdivision at 6 p.m. Monday at City Hall. At the last hearing for the request, the commission reached a tie and made no recommendation.
n Approved Jean Massey, Tim Schilson, Bill Dobbins and Walter Sellens to be authorized users of the city's $1,000 credit card.
n Agreed to pay McClure Engineering Associates about $60,400 for design and the contract work related to the lift station, miscellaneous expenses and work related to the gas generator for the water plant.
n Learned patching asphalt is hard to come by and expensive this time of the year. The city has been hauling five tons of the material at a time from Marblehead, Ill., at $85 per ton to fix potholes in Hamilton roads.
n Set March committee meetings at City Hall: Health and Safety, 5:30 p.m. Thursday; Building and Grounds, 6:30 p.m., Thursday; Streets, 6 p.m. Tuesday; and Water and Sewer, 7 p.m. Tuesday.
n Heard Steve Weber, chair of the Internet Committee, said he has the original contracts with Interlink LLC of Keokuk for installation of the Interlink antenna on the city water tower. Weber said he has not had any communication from Interlink, whose contract ran out some time ago. The city has asked Interlink to remove the antenna and its other equipment from the tower.
At the recommendation of engineering consultant firm McClure Engineering, Macomb, Ill., the city will hold back 15 percent of the contractor's payment until it is certain that everything works properly with the recent work, said Tim Schilson, superintendent of the Water and Sewer Department.
Hamilton has had about one-fifth of its sewer system televised, repaired and lined. The project was funded in part by a $350,000 Community Development Assistance Program grant.
Preparations for the estimated $1.2 million Ninth Street lift station project already have begun with pre-application for a low interest loan from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
“We were told by the EPA to fix it,” Schilson said. “We've had several overflows into Railroad Creek.”
The $1.2 million cost estimate includes replacement of the Ninth Street lift station and force main, line 16,150 linear feet of eight-inch sewer lines, grout 18 manholes, install nine new manholes, replace 27 manhole lids, replace seven sanitary sewer segments and make repairs at selected locations.
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In other department business, Schilson said McClure Engineering has come up with a preliminary contract for the operation of the Elvaston water system for City Attorney Stan Tucker to review. Also, after checking the sewer at John Mason's property on Keokuk Street, the department decided that neither the highway nor the city are responsible for the sewer problem and will not pay for repairs.
Schilson said his department was awarded a plaque by the Illinois Department of Public Health recently for maintaining the highest standard of fluoride compliance for five consecutive years, 2003 to 2007.
Former Hamilton Mayor Ken DeYong visited the meeting and briefly discussed two concerns.
“We need to reinstate a spring cleanup by contracting haulers and having no limit on what people can set out,” DeYong said. “It could be an old box, it could be an old stove.”
DeYong also asked the city council to study the proposed closing of Tower Road, arrive at a position and send the city's position to Montebello Township trustees.
Last year, W. L. Miller Company asked township trustees to close Tower Road so that Gray Quarry Inc. could expand its gravel pit at the edge of Hamilton through the roadway to property on the other side.
Several Hamilton residents visited a city council meeting and opposed the road closure.
“With 2,000 people traveling on it, it's no longer just a road, it's a highway,” DeYong said. “It's a community's link with the rest of the area. I believe that turning that road into a quarry would limit the city's ability to expand in that direction.”
DeYong believes that in the future a four-lane highway will be built between Carthage, Ill., and would then head south from Hamilton, possibly through the expansion area.
The property involved in the proposed expansion is zoned for agriculture purposes. Gray Quarry would have to seek a variance from the Hamilton Zoning Commission to convert the zoning to mining uses.
The City of Hamilton has hired Bruce Biagini of Macomb, who specializes in zoning, to represent the city's interests.
In other business the city council:
n Reminded council members that the Zoning Commission will hear a request for zoning change for Leverage Investments, LLC for Hero Park Subdivision at 6 p.m. Monday at City Hall. At the last hearing for the request, the commission reached a tie and made no recommendation.
n Approved Jean Massey, Tim Schilson, Bill Dobbins and Walter Sellens to be authorized users of the city's $1,000 credit card.
n Agreed to pay McClure Engineering Associates about $60,400 for design and the contract work related to the lift station, miscellaneous expenses and work related to the gas generator for the water plant.
n Learned patching asphalt is hard to come by and expensive this time of the year. The city has been hauling five tons of the material at a time from Marblehead, Ill., at $85 per ton to fix potholes in Hamilton roads.
n Set March committee meetings at City Hall: Health and Safety, 5:30 p.m. Thursday; Building and Grounds, 6:30 p.m., Thursday; Streets, 6 p.m. Tuesday; and Water and Sewer, 7 p.m. Tuesday.
n Heard Steve Weber, chair of the Internet Committee, said he has the original contracts with Interlink LLC of Keokuk for installation of the Interlink antenna on the city water tower. Weber said he has not had any communication from Interlink, whose contract ran out some time ago. The city has asked Interlink to remove the antenna and its other equipment from the tower.
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Mary wrote on Mar 25, 2008 11:16 AM: