CLAYPOOL – The final payment on a 11-year-old wastewater plant bond may mean lower bills for residents.
During its Monday meeting, the Claypool Town Council noted the last check to the Bank of New York Mellon, which issued a bond of more than $1 million in 1990 for construction of a wastewater treatment plant, is due by December. Claypool is in the clear once it posts the $27,000, and has already paid the last interest bill of $795.
The town has been paying the bond out of residents’ sewer fees. Asked by a resident if they would start seeing sewer bills go down, Board President Don Miller replied, “It’s possible.”
The town also put some teeth into a ruling passed at a previous meeting prohibiting parking on Church Street outside Claypool United Methodist Church during service hours. There was some concern because that section of the street is also used for pick up and drop off of students at the church preschool.
Under the amendment to the original ordinance, the fine for first offense is $10, $20 for a second offense, and $30 for each further violation. Miller noted that, though the original rule did not set penalties, there have been no complaints since it was passed.
Miller also reported there are no funds for more appropriate tornado sirens unless the town is able to get a grant next year. A new tornado siren to replace an older system with electronics issues would cost about $19,000.
The remote activation system on the water tower siren has not been working “for some time,” Miller noted, requiring someone to activate it manually before the switch was moved to the town hall.
“It would seem the decibels are a little too high for human ears to be near it” in order to activate it, he remarked. He added that, with the deadly tornado activity this season, a lot of lives have been saved because of sirens.
