Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Lake Worth - 2" watermains

Comment Up
Peter Timm and Mary Watson--
silent demonstration last night against city privatizing our beach
 and secret meetings

Last night, Larry Johnson, Director of our Water Department gave his presentation on the 2" water line replacement for 17 miles of roads within our city. We have heard this presentation before during the Lake Worth 2020 presentation. Staff came with rusty pipes and cloudy water to make its point--"We need to do this."

The first work would start in College Park where the mayor can't drink the stuff--too nasty with chlorine. The Vice Mayor pitched for District 1 to be next on the six year cycle as it will have the most work done. Former commissioner of district 1, Retha Lowe, was there to listen. At the moment, the schedule for this replacement work is District 4, 3, 2 and 1 and the Director did not say whether this would be changed.
  • Alley water piping construction cost: $6,545,000
  • Easement water piping construction cost: $5,490,000
  • Road water piping construction cost: $1,566,000
  • Engineering/survey: $2,460,000
  • Loan fees and Reserves: $746,000
  • TOTAL COST: 16,806,000
However, the city has funded $828,000 and that amount will be reduced from the above total.

The Water Distribution System consists of 157 miles of watermains ranging in size from 36-inch to 2- inch diameter. There are approximately 23 miles of 2-inch watermain. The 2-inch watermains are generally constructed of galvanized steel with internal and external corrosion resulting in poor water quality and reliability issues. The city plans to replace only 17 miles with 4" pvc. No one on the dais asked about the other 140 miles that are larger than 2". Are they in good shape?  How many are steel and are corroding? Have some caused problems or already been replaced?  If so, where?  How many miles? etc. The watermains are breaking more often, and we have spent $23,000 in yearly overtime labor repairing the breaks but it never was mentioned the cost of supplies to repair those breaks. 

The five financing options were read from the Power Point presentation. There was not one question from the dais on what it was going to cost all the rate payers in the city on their water bill for those 17 miles by going with Option 4, the State Revolving Fund Loan, staff's recommendation. A huge majority of our streets (140 miles of watermains) will not be affected by these replacements.

A chart was provided in the presentation that showed a water increase through year 2024 of 45.08%. So what will happen here is that the bigger users of water such as the condos, whose residents are retirees who live along Lake Osborne Drive and whose pipes will NOT be replaced and have no alleyways, will be greatly impacted on their water bill and greatly subsidizing this project.

Funding for the project has been recommended by staff and is staggered SRF borrowing from year 2016 through year 2020 and the anticipated rate adjustments are a 4.50% for 2016, 4.00% for year 2017 and 3.5% for 2018 through 2024 that will help pay for it. The replacement piping will last 30-50 years. The term of this loan (30 plus years--(36 years from the last borrowing)) was never mentioned nor was it asked from the dais.

12 comments:

Weetha Peebull said...

I love Mr Timm!
What a great statement about it all!
The ITN audio is up on the city website for all to hear and it was so much more then they let on - it WAS political! Shame on the IG rep who listened but did nothing...

Time to get the IG/Ethic's Ordinance (73% voted for it in Corruption County)
straightened out and add the 'right' words to be effective and not a 'how to get away with anything' doc as it stands now...pitiful!

Anonymous said...

It would be amazing if Mr. Timm would duct tape his mouth for every meeting. His ranting don't make any sense and is just a waste of everyone's time. Mr. Timm with duct tape on his mouth is my new screensaver.

Anonymous said...

I pay City taxes on three properties when lots of other folks don't (indeed the majority of City properties don't pay City taxes) but I don't complain that PBSO patrols areas of the City where there are no City tax payers.

So, sure you can make the argument that water bill fees go up for infrastructure that doesn't help you and that is not fair, but I can make the same argument that I pay for police and I don't get my own cop to guard my home.

I guess my question would be, what is a fair way to pay for these improvements. I voted against the bond b/c I thought forcing just a third of the properties to pay for the bond was unfair, I'm happier with this proposal even though I too will be paying and I'm not on the list to get improvements.

Lynn Anderson said...

I am rather sure that there are several people, especially those political people who believe that they have the answer to everything and always sit in the front row at our city commission meetings, who would love to shut up ALL of the opposition.

Thank God for people like Mr. Timm.

Anonymous said...

Most if not all the questions you asked on your blog were answered last night.
The question about the other pipes other than the 17 miles of 2” pipe that’s needs to be replaced was discussed and explained. Listen to the replay. By the way, the city was told in 2005 that the 17 miles needed to be replace. Now 10 years latter it’s going to be done. But unless we want to tear up the entire city at one time it’s going to take 5 to 6 years more to replace pipes that numerous city managers, mayors and commissioners since 2005 should have taken of.

Lynn Anderson said...

Shoulda Woulda Coulda. We can go all the way back to the founding of Lake Worth when they plotted out 25 foot lots and blame the entire mess on the Pioneers. IT'S an old city and things need replacing. We are out of the recession and property values are beginning to rise. The city has repleted its reserves and have to tax the people to death to afford itself.

And then the cycle will start all over again.

I was told today to put in xeriscaping and forget about a nice lawn. Our lawn is burning out anyway because we have had little rain.

Anonymous said...

"It's and old city and things need replacing" so why are you anti development? "And then the cycle will start all over again" doesn't this sound a little hypocritical? Shouldn't the same concept apply for aging or deteriorating structures? I know you have an answer for everything so let's here it...

Lynn Anderson said...

Why do you think I am anti-development? What I oppose is the city giving away our assets on a silver platter to every developer who has a song and dance.

If structures are maintained, they are not going to fall apart. We can't maintain anything.

Last night, it was said that this new piping will last 30 to 50 years. Take your pick and we will be paying for it for 30 plus years in our water rates. That's when the cycle starts all over again.

That's all, anonymous.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Mary and Mr. Timm. At least the three stooges had to look out at you guys. And believe me, even though they didn't say anything, they know they are done politically.More and more people are learning about the secret meetings to steel our public beach.It's gonna be an avalanche. And it's heading right for Maxwell, Triolo and Amoroso.

Anonymous said...

The water director said last night the pipes we're replacing now we're over 50 years old when the water distribution survey was done. By the time we get all the districts pipes replaced if we follow the plan presented some of the last sections replaced will be over 65 years old. So you could also say these new pipes could last 25 to 35,years after the low interest bond is satisfied.

Ok. Your turn.

Lynn Anderson said...

Ok--I'm not arguing with you.

Anonymous said...

hopefully mr timm passed the duct tape to the mayor. just when I think that it can't be possible, she takes blathering to new heights. will not miss her when she's gone next year.