DELPHOS — While Delphos councilors yet again faced a request to adjust water rates at a residence, they also passed a resolution that possibly shed light on a resolution in the future.
After doing an estimated reading at the 516 S. Canal St. residence, it was later learned that a busted pipe and a leaking water heater had caused a usage of nearly three times the average at the location. After doing the estimated reading in March, the June reading revealed that the problems were not identified until the June reading. The leak and busted pipe were expected to have taken place in January or February.
Problems have lingered with the billing method, which is done every three months in the city. As a result, many residents have approached City Council to have rates adjusted. Some have been approved by the council and some have not.
While the council approved the budget adjustment, the council also approved a resolution for safety-service director Shane Coleman to begin applying for grants to possibly fund improvements to the infrastructure.
Improvements would include upgrading technology so water meter readings could be done monthly instead of quarterly as they are now.
“This is the early stages of trying to help correct that,” Coleman said. “It is very early but we are looking into it. We want to see what we could qualify for and what funding is available.”
The resolution allows the mayor or Coleman to apply for the State Capital Improvement Program and the Local Transportation Improvement Program to try and secure money for improvements. If funding is secured, the city would possibly install radio-read water meters. With the new meters, the city could catch leaks much sooner, resulting in problems such as leaks being addressed sooner.
Josh Gillespie, the lone no-voter on the most recent request for adjustment, admitted that new meters could help with the problem. However, he said residents also need to take some responsibility.
“People have to take some of the responsibility,” Gillespie said. “Don’t let your toilet run for two months before fixing it.”
The preliminary estimate for the project was $872,000, but Coleman said that could possibly end up being lower if some existing meters could be upgraded so new meters did not have to be purchased. The city has about 2,700 meters.
In other business, Steve Kayatin, Mike Bosch and Rex Huffman with the Allen County Water District discussed the possibility of the city joining a regional water district that could make for a more efficient water district.
Huffman said the district is doing a feasibility study to determine if a combined water and wastewater district would help with efficiency. Any Allen County governmental entities would be invited to join.
“I would say it is feasible because not much would change other than the removal of redundancy,” Huffman said.
Kayatin said they have attended several council meetings to discuss the possibility with councils, and said that they have had the full support of the Allen County commissioners.
Huffman said they hope to have the feasibility study completed in the next few months.
The council also approved to put a 4.05 mill levy renewal on the March ballot. The levy would generate about $158,000 annually.
