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Columbus City Council met on Tuesday, Oct. 14, and Monday, Oct. 27, and discussed various city business.
Utilities Department Water/ Gas Head Kevin Faichtinger addressed the city’s plan for the wastewater treatment plant booster pumps going forward. An unexpected booster bump failure on Sept. 17 forced the city to issue a state one drought notice.
“My plan is when water usage slows down a little bit, we are going to put the new pump in place and hang on to the repaired pump as a spare to keep up out of this whole situation,” Faichtinger said.
Faichtinger said that the city’s notification process of drought and other notices need to change. He suggested the city issue a stage one drought notice at the beginning of May next year. Stage one requests residents to voluntarily limit their water usage and does not impose any restrictions. Faichtigner said the city council would then increase to stage two with restrictions if needed due to environmental or operational concerns.
Faichtinger also announced that crews would start to slowly repair and repaint various gas meters and fire hydrants across the city starting in the next couple of months.
Nesbitt Memorial Library Director Lynette Weido announced that the library is working to purchase new locked display cases to introduce rotating exhibits in the archives. The cases will be funded by a new grant awarded to the library by the Ladd and Katherine Hancher Library Foundation.
In his Oct. 10 report, City Manager Donald Warschak shared that the contractor for the Interstate 10 Expansion Project is currently installing casing for the relocation of a sanitary sewer force main that crosses the Highway 71 bypass and is located at Montezuma Street and County Road 140. City crews will begin working on the pickleball courts at the Montezuma Park Pavilion in the next few weeks.
The council approved street closures for the upcoming holidays: in the Memorial Oaks Subdivision on Friday, Oct. 31, from 6-8 p.m. for Halloween activities; Milam Street from Harbert Street to Spring Street on Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 6-7 p.m. for the Lighted Christmas Parade; and Spring Street from the corner of Milam Street up to the Trefney Law Office at 415 Spring Street on Thursday, Dec. 4, from 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. for Ladies Night Out.
