Rural water district named city's official backup source
The City of Hillsboro is officially out of its water emergency.
At its regular biweekly meeting Tuesday evening, the City Council rescinded the water emergency ordinance it had originally passed on Tuesday, June 10.
But if the city ever needs to draw on an alternate water source again, it will have a backup source in place.
The council approved a contract with Rural Water District No. 4 that states the district will be Hillsboro's backup water supply in case of emergency.
However, if that scenario occurs, the cost will be a bit higher than this summer.
According to the contract, district water will cost the city $1.50 per 1,000 gallons — up until July 4, 2003. That covers the city's recent water crisis, when it drew water from the district and the City of McPherson for three solid weeks.
But after July 4, the cost will be $2.40 per 1,000 gallons. That's nearly a dollar more than the original price.
"It's not unheard of," City Administrator Steve Garrett said of the new price. "(But) it's higher than I'd want to pay."
Also according to the contract, the district would provide water to Hillsboro only it had "surplus" water — and the district would determine what constitutes a surplus.
Hillsboro received its first bill from Gorges Dairy for the use of its trucks and drivers to haul in water. For the first 10 days of the water emergency, the dairy's bill is $13,750. The city will decide later specifically what part of the city budget that money will come from.
In addition to paying for trucks, drivers, and actual water, Hillsboro will also have to pay the laboratories in Missouri and Ohio for their services, Garrett said.
In other council business:
— The city will go ahead with its plan to refund bonds issued in 1998 that purchased the Hillsboro hospital from Salem, Inc.
The bonds are being refunded and then re-issued to take advantage of current lower interest rates. Bonds will be refunded for $1.18 million and re-issued for $1.21 million.
— The city agreed to let the Hillsboro Community Medical Center delay paying its utility bills for July.
The hospital was recently approved for Critical Access Status — a boon for the hospital, and a situation that changes how it processes Medicare claims, said CEO Mike Ryan.
HCMC got the official status on June 2 and since then has been unable to process any Medicare claims until the final details come through, Ryan said. Consequently, its cash flow has been low.
The hospital should be able to file claims again by today, Wednesday, and it will then take about 10 days to get all the money due it since June 2. HCMC would pay the city bill when the money comes through.
— While working on the Main Street project, APAC construction crews will install a driveway in front of Lowell Foth's service station on South Main.
Foth approached the council a few weeks ago to express concern that a curb in front of his business would hurt his business.
The driveway will interrupt the brick pattern along the road and eliminate one light pole, which was set to be installed in the middle of the proposed driveway, said engineer Bob Previtera of Reiss and Goodness Engineers.
— Bob Watson of Emprise Bank asked the council if there was a way the two trees in front of his bank building could be spared during downtown construction. The bank would be willing to pay a minimal cost to keep the trees, he said.
Previtera agreed to draw up a new plan that would incorporate the trees into the street design.
