RUSS will be using sheep-power for grass control around lagoons

By Brooks Taylor, Mt. Pleasant News

Bruce Hudson self-admittedly likes to think outside the box. Recently the Regional Utility Service Systems (RUSS) executive director?s thought process took him to sheep.

As part of owning and or operating wastewater systems, RUSS also has to mow around lagoons. Hudson thought that instead of using manpower, sheep-power might be a better alternative.

?Mowing lagoons takes manpower and time,? he told his board of directors Wednesday during the regular board meeting. ?I would like to do a trial run and purchase six sheep and have them take care of the grass at one site before moving them to another site.?

The RUSS board went six better than Hudson, passing a motion to allow him to purchase a dozen sheep for grass control purposes.

?Let?s give it a chance,? said Ron Fedler, RUSS board member from Lee County. ?If this works, fine and if it doesn?t, at least we tried.?

Hudson said the sheep would be used at three or four lagoons during the growing season. He said the sheep would be sold in the fall after they are no longer needed.

?What I am doing is looking at reducing our cost as an entity,? Hudson told the board. ?To me, I think that would be a good plan. This is a trial but a good trial.?

Rarely does a conversation about Mt. Union escape a monthly board agenda. That was the case again Wednesday. Hudson updated his board on Mt. Union?s request for discontinuance being on the agenda of the State of Iowa City Development Board.

He said if the request is granted (which it was on March 8), he will be speaking to Matt Rasmussen, City Development Board administrator, to see if RUSS can enter into a 28E agreement to discuss how the county can indemnify RUSS, if needed, for unpaid sewer bills incurred by Mt. Union residents.

Once a municipality?s request to unincorporate is granted, the City Development Board becomes the city?s government. A notice to creditors (similar to a notice to creditors in a bankruptcy case) is published twice in the official city newspaper and creditors are given six months to make claims against the town.

Hudson, however, wants to start the process before the six months expire. ?Hopefully we can do this and eliminate a lot of the county?s problem, our problem and Mt. Union?s problem. We have submitted our stuff to the City Development Board and will be submitting updates monthly.

In his monthly update to the board, Hudson related that he recently went to Washington, D.C., and talked to Iowa Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst concerning water control issues. ?Ernst was very sharp, she knew everything I was talking about.?

On Friday, Hudson will be meeting with the Parnell City Council to finalize the details of RUSS taking over the operation and maintenance of Parnell?s wastewater plant. He said RUSS would not have any ownership of the plant.

He said RUSS would also take over the operation of four plants in the Poweshiek Rural Water Association?s service area in July.

?I see this coming more and more (maintenance and operation of plants),? Hudson stated. ?I?ve had conversations with communities in northeast and north-central Iowa.?

The RUSS Board of Directors meets again in regular session Wednesday, April 12, at 1 p .m., in the Henry County Emergency Management Building in Mt. Pleasant.