Water lines, Q125 update discussed by commissioners

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The possibility of replacing water lines to the Wayne County Courthouse and updates on the upcoming Q125 celebration at the courthouse took up the majority of Tuesday's meeting of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners.

Casey Junck, Water/Wastewater Superintendent for the city of Wayne was at the meeting to talk about the issues, including the fact that some of the curb stops to the building are not working and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations are changing in regard to what will be allowed.

The commissioners and Junck discussed the fact that the county is paying approximately $5,000 per year for the water used for irrigation that is not going into the sewer system.

They noted that making the upgrades and adding an additional meter (which would cost $23 per month) would save the county money.

Junck also talked about lines going into the Sheriff's building and told the commissioners he would be willing to help determine what needs to be done.

Commissioners will look to find someone willing to do the work.

Dawn Nelson, representing the Courthouse Q125 committee gave an update on the work that has been done by the group.

She talked about decorations for the Christmas tree and asked for permission to purchase decorations for the railings in the building.

She also shared information on the cost of putting lights around the outside of the courthouse that would be permanent and would be able to be changed to different colors throughout the year.

Commissioners will try to find examples of such lighting in the area to determine if it is something they wish to pursue.

Four bids were received for corrugated metal pipes with steal headwalls and wingwalls and other related work for five sites. Two of these sites are in Wayne County and three of them are in Madison County.

The bids ranged from $307,014.60 from B's Enterprises to $367,874.76 from Midwest Services.

No action was taken on the bids as they need to be reviewed by Madison County also. The bid will be awarded at the next commissioner's meeting.

County Treasurer Lisa Lindsay updated the commissioners on several items, include the purchase of a paper folding machine to be used by several offices in the courthouse.

The $907.60 cost for this will be taken from the county's General Fund as it will be used by multiple offices.

Lindsay also gave a brief update on recent training all members of her office had recently attending dealing with title fraud. She said the office has purchased a special flashlight and microscope to help identify fraudulent titles.

She also shared information on the county's interest rates on investments and said that due to increases in spending, both for special projects and increased costs, the county's cash balances are lower than in the past.

The commissioners also heard from County Attorney Amy Miller on the Masimus contract with the county for child support work.

Miller outlined the work that takes place and the need for a full-time employee to handle this work. She said state statue says the county attorney is responsible for dealing with these cases.

The contract was renewed and additional discussion will be held on the topic in the future.

The Wayne County Board of Commissioners will next meet in regular session on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 9 a.m. in the Wayne County Courtroom.