Council reviews sewer, force-main and road repair needs; seeks consultant update on rates

Council members discussed several infrastructure items that could require major funding or phased fixes, and agreed to seek consultant analysis before adopting rate changes.

Staff said a comprehensive replacement of the town’s force main—about 5½ to 6 miles—would be a major undertaking and estimated replacement at roughly $4,000,000. As an interim measure, staff proposed testing lower-cost fixes such as localized blow-offs into tanker trucks to relieve pressure and reduce blockage before pursuing full replacement. “We saw 25. I think it was roughly 25 PSI jump by shutting that off,” the staff member said when describing pressure improvements after valve work.

On roads, staff reported a rough estimate of roughly $60,000 to properly pave Hocker Street; prior water-line repairs left insufficient asphalt depth so the work would need more than a simple resurface.

Officials also described ongoing verification of service-line materials for lead and copper. Staff said about 117 residential services remain to be checked and the effort should be mostly complete next year, with highway services handled separately.

Separately, council members agreed to contact consultant Baker Tilly for a 2026 evaluation of sewer rates. The council noted a prior roughly 7% increase was intended to break even and discussed whether another 3–4% increase may be required; staff will present recommendations at a future meeting.

Next steps: staff to approach Baker Tilly for an updated sewer-rate analysis, continue service-line verifications, and pursue interim fixes while researching grant opportunities for major force-main work.