New London city leaders approve $17,477 quote for tornado siren

By TRISHA PHELPS

Mt. Pleasant News

NEW LONDON ? The weather may have forced New London Community School District to let out early on Tuesday, but the New London City Council wasn?t afraid of a little snow. They held their regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday night.

The council approved a quote from Electronic Engineering for $17,477.00 to replace the tornado siren in town.

The quote includes a siren, motor start, generator, utility pole mounting bracket, shipping and labor costs.

No action was taken on using the former Casey?s General Store building at the 600 block of East Main Street for the public works shop. According to city officials, the building has been acquired by New London Utilities, and there will be a joint meeting at a later date to further discuss the future of the building.

There was also discussion, but no action taken, at the meeting about increasing the sewer rates in order for the city to make payments on a loan taken out for wastewater treatment plant improvements.

The last time New London increased sewer rates, according to city officials, was in January of 2013. The rise in rates increased the city?s revenues by approximately $170,000 and customers saw an increase in rates from 40 to 100 percent on their sewer bill. The increase varies based on their usage.

In order to pay the city?s new loan payment of approximately $3,000,000; city officials claim that the city will need an additional $160,000 to $170,000 in revenues.

According to city officials, improvements to be made to the wastewater treatment plant include adding a screening system to the treatment plant to keep the larger solids out of the lagoons, new aeration and SAGR system to help digest the sewage, lower ammonia levels and clean the water before it leaves the system, a new office/lab for sampling and testing and an ultra-violet system to reduce the E. Coli before the water leaves the system.

These improvements are being mandated by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) new requirements. The DNR is now requiring lower ammonia and E. coli levels before the sewer water leaves a system.

Henry County Attorney Darin Stater and Henry County Sheriff Rich McNamee were to give presentations during the meeting; however, due to the weather they were unable to make it.

The next New London City Council meeting will be March 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the city office.