Alliance manager asks city to partner in ‘master plan’

BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — The alcoholic beverage sales option for the City of Inez is still on the table. Commissioner Richie Wells announced in an Inez City Commission meeting Thursday that he plans to circulate the petition to get the question on the ballot in the November General Election.

“I plan on taking about two weeks to gather it all up,” Wells said.

Kentucky law requires the petition to comprise the number of signatures equal to 25 percent of voters in the last general election.

Wells believes 30-35 signatures will get it on the ballot. He plans to meet with Martin County Clerk Susie Skyles and file paperwork this week.

Inez Commissioners and Mayor Ed Daniels welcomed Alliance Water Resources manager Craig Miller as a guest Thursday. Miller proposed the city do a collaborative project with Martin County Water District, Martin County Sanitation District, and the Martin County Fiscal Court.

The project is to have Bell Engineering develop a “master plan” to replace water and sewer lines, storm sewers, streets and sidewalks. The master plan would include plans, drawings, a video, and a flyover to show what it would look like. Bell would charge, at minimum, $45,400. For an additional $10,800, Bell would include a 3D rending and other design elements, pushing the price to $56,200.

Miller said since Martin County Sanitation District is “flat broke,” he hopes the city would agree to a three-way split.

“We have the oldest lines here in Inez, and they’re asbestos concrete,” Miller said. “We have a failing sewer system and, I believe, multiple places in town that potentially aren’t connected to the sewer. We have a lot of issues with the storm sewer. Water just sits in the road. So my thoughts were, what would be the impact if we did a project, all of us together?

“We have sidewalks that need replaced and repaired, we have curbs that need to be replaced and repaired, we’ve got a storm sewer that’s failing, and we’ve got inflow and infiltration going into our sewer system,” Miller said.

Mayor Daniels asked what would happen if a grant required matching funds and the city could not come up with those funds.

Inez announced several months ago its plans to use some of its $99,000 ARP funding to repair sidewalks. The state department of highways announced it would resurface portions of Route 40 and Route 3 in the city this summer.

“In previous utilities that I worked for, if we did a street project, we would do a line project at the same time,” Miller said. “No one wants to dig up a brand-new road and new sidewalks to replace a sewer break or water break. Additionally, when you have failing infrastructure, it’s a good way to just all at once go ahead and knock it out.”

Miller said it could take a number of years “to make a project like this happen.”

Commissioner Terry Fraley favored the idea of working together.

“This is very worthwhile, and we should get together,” Fraley said. “This would be great, and I know this is not going to happen soon.”

Commissioner Dennis Hall asked if the primary purpose of the plan was to replace all the water lines.

Miller said he wants to replace the water lines, sewer lines, storm sewer, sidewalks, curbs and streets.

Clerk Candy Crum told Miller the sewer often backs up in her neighborhood right above the water plant on Turkey Creek Road.

“If I can just get the trunk line secured, we can work on these lateral lines,” replied Miller.

“One at a time?” asked Fraley.

“Yes, we can take these things a little bit at a time and work our way out and fix the infrastructure, but we can work together to get the major portion done,” said Miller.

“The last thing that I want to do is see the city put in new sidewalks, and I get a grant approved to put in new water line and then have to come back through and rip up every sidewalk that you just paid good money for and put a new water line in. I don’t want to do it. I don’t even want to fix water lines now because I don’t want to not put it back right. And we need to.”

Commissioner Dennis Hall told Miller that the city would not want partial projects.

“We want to know and be sure that we’ve got enough funds to start here and end up there,” Hall said. “I don’t want to stop right up here.”

The commissioners told Miller that they would consider his proposal.

In other business, commissioners agreed to spend up to $2,200 to upgrade the office computer, monitor, printer and portable Dictaphone.

Hall advised commissioners that the city’s truck had been in the shop all week and would cost around $1,000 to repair. He also said the lawn tractor had an oil leak.

“We’re going to have to get it checked out,” Hall said.

Hall said he had walked the trail and found an issue behind the church.

“It needs more concrete where the water comes out of the drain,” said Hall. “The water could still come up and go under the sidewalk.”

Hall said he and the street worker could fix it.

Inez will pay for a porta-potty for the Back to School event July 29 behind the Martin County Courthouse.