An unexpected snag in Morford Street renovation will cost the city an additional $30,000 to prevent a stink later.
“I have one item that we need blessings from the committee on,” city administrator David Rutherford said to the Street and Sanitation Committee and Finance Committee. “We are finishing up the work on Morford Street getting ready for the contractor to come in and do the street.”
In the process of putting utilities underground and working on water and sewer lines, a problem was found with one of the lines.
“We have identified a sewer line that runs under a building,” said Rutherford. “It happens to carry the load from the post office and several other buildings. That creates a little heartburn for me, because if anything happens under that building, we will have several customers that will be without sewer service.”
Having a public sewer line running under private property is not optimal if work on the line needs to be done in the future. To correct the situation a manhole must be installed in that area for approximately $30,000.
Rutherford added, “I recommend you do that. If you choose to ignore it, something will happen just as soon as you get Morford Street paved. That new pavement would have to be dug up.”
Officials voted unanimously to spend the money necessary to install a manhole.