Pateros pipe break causes $20,000 damage

PATEROS – A mid-December pipe break flooded the main lift station with sewage near the city’s sewer treatment plant.

“We lost the electric in the lift gate, all the small pieces of equipment - the aerator, the dehumidifier, the air ventilator, the lights, and we’ll have to replace some mercury switches,” city administrator Jord Wilson told the Patoros City Council at its regular monthly meeting last Wednesday, Jan. 17. “We had two spare pumps on the shelf that we pulled out from the previous project and were able to put those in. They are working good, while the repaired pumps are on their way back.”

Wilson said he has contacted the city’s insurance and estimates the repair costs “on the low end about $20,000.”

Snow was a serious issue for residents this year, said Wilson, and city staff continue to work in widening roads despite a backhoe breakdown that forced the substitution of the smaller Toolcat.

The city continues to work with city engineers Varela & Associates drafting plans for downtown ADA improvements and Commercial Avenue and pedestrian crossing upgrades.

“We will be combining The Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) and ARPA projects to try to get better construction pricing,” said Wilson. “The city also asked for additional funding which should go before the TIB on Jan. 27.”

A public hearing on the city’s sewer plan review drew no public comment. Wilson introduced the plan by reviewing Department of Ecology requirements as they related to components of the city’s 20-year-old plan that are at or nearing the end of their useful life.

Resolutions approved
Following a request for proposal that resulted in three candidate responses, the council approved a resolution recommending Varela Engineering and Management for city engineering services and Erlandsen and Associates for surveying services.

A second resolution approved a software agreement with Aktivov Asset Management for the next three years following a negotiated adjustment of the annual fee that saved the city $6,043.69 for 2023 and set at an agreed rate for the next three years.

Three informational posters were also approved and will be displayed on the new downtown kiosk on Commercial Avenue.

“We are coordinating with EVCS (Electric Vehicle Charging Stations) to get the best possible placement and still consider parking lot and Commercial Avenue improvements,” Wilson said (see “State selects EVCS for charging station contract” on this page )

Due to a holiday conflict, the next regular meeting of the Pateros City Council will be a 6 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 21.