Thursday night’s meeting of the Goodrich City Council focused on two maintenance items concerning lift stations and the wastewater pond.
Discussion in the community center began with a check valve that is expected to arrive next week to get one of the city’s lift stations off Loop 393 back in working order. The original valve was internal and will need to be moved externally, as with most new check valves.
Alderman Ty Grubbs asked if city employees were concerned about a control panel at the lift station.
“It looks like a rat’s nest,” Grubbs said. “How much longer do you think we have on that panel and is it something we should consider? I know what it looks like in there and it does not look very good.”
Grubbs was informed that the panel was a $6,000 or $7,000 piece that should be considered once the unit is back in working order. Everything is currently expected to work properly once the valve is installed.
Alderman Bobby Wright said he did not want to spend money until the control panel was no longer functional. If necessary, Wright said the council would approve the parts needed to put the lift station back into proper repair.
Council also discussed the difference between new and rebuilt lift pumps. A new lift pump carries a price of $7,599 and has a one-year warranty. A rebuilt pump is $5,800 and comes with a 90-day warranty. A lift station near Valero also went out on Monday.
Goodrich will need to take out a loan for the city’s wastewater ponds. A hefty price tag of around $300,000 is attached to that task. City employees said the wastewater pond received 38 years of usage since its last cleaning. They said if the pond is cleaned as planned, they should have another 25 years without worry.
Goodrich Mayor Kelly Nelson said the request for a loan will go out for bid in the Enterprise, where they will then field offers.
