Queenstown commissioners discuss new water tower site, $250,000 maintenance and finance review

Queenstown — Town Engineer Robert Rauch told Queenstown commissioners on Nov. 6 that the town needs a larger water tower and improvements to water mains to meet consumption and fire-flow needs, and that the current Wall Street tower is undersized and requires about $250,000 in maintenance.

Rauch said he is ready to begin design work for a replacement tower but that the design requires a secured site. He identified a parcel owned by the Dudley family across Del Rhodes Avenue as the ideal location and said an engineering survey to present the plan to the Dudleys would cost approximately $3,000.

Rauch also said prior assumptions about nearby development had influenced earlier USDA applications: when the town applied previously, Wheatland planned commercial buildout and the Dudleys were expected to annex and build; those circumstances have changed, he said. "The Town has an obligation to provide water service," Rauch told the commissioners, adding that the town currently has undersized mains, an aged tower and pressure problems; he noted residents can install ground pressure tanks to improve pressure at individual homes.

Commissioners expressed concern about the cost to residents and asked that the finance committee review current rates and run an amortization analysis on loan options before committing to a project that could affect rates. No formal motion to proceed with site acquisition or design was recorded.

Rauch said he will send a copy of the preliminary engineering report for the tower project to the town office. The commissioners adjourned the work session at 3:15 p.m.