Bruton council approves emergency repair for North Bruton sewer lagoon curtain

Bruton City Council on Oct. 2025 approved an emergency repair for a damaged curtain at the North Bruton sewer lagoon, authorizing work by Cornerstone H2O and agreeing the city will be responsible for a $10,000 deductible.

City Clerk reported the lagoon curtain “has been ripped,” and that the total repair cost was $119,450 and would be covered by the city’s insurance except for a $10,000 deductible. The clerk said the work was treated as an emergency to avoid the normal bid process and that the city sought assistance from Southern Engineering to identify local vendors before contracting with Cornerstone H2O of Georgia.

The council voted on Resolution 25-1020-1 to approve the emergency repair. Councilor Brown moved the resolution; Councilor Barton seconded. Roll-call votes recorded in the meeting transcript show votes of yes from Councilors Barton, Brown, Jennings, Grafton and Watson; the resolution was approved.

Council members confirmed that an emergency designation allows the city to preempt the usual bidding requirement for repairs that threaten sewer operations. The clerk said multiple quotes were requested before declaring the emergency. No council member recorded a nay or abstention in the roll call recorded in the transcript.

The council did not place additional conditions on the contract during the approval; the clerk indicated the insurance company will cover the balance beyond the deductible. The city’s follow-up steps or contract terms beyond vendor and deductible were not specified in the meeting transcript.

The repair was presented under the meeting’s new-business agenda; the council moved on after the vote to other routine items.