BPW Discusses Main Break; Hears MoDOT Update

The Board of Public Works (BPW) discussed a water main break at its monthly meeting on Tuesday, September 1.

Water Superintendent Tony Lerda said crews replaced 40 feet of pipe on 2nd Street to repair the break in the six-inch pipe.

In a MoDOT update, Lerda reported that crews are continuing to move along, but not without challenges.

During installation of the storm sewers on 2nd Street, they ran into unexpected sewer lines and had to move two complete lines.

Crews installed new mains at Pine and 2nd Streets and are projected to move downtown by November 1.

They are expecting to be done with 58 Highway to 9th Street by then, including resurfacing.

O&M Enterprises provided MoDOT with a meter for the watering they are doing on the west end of town for the new sod MoDOT put down.

“They are moving at a good rate,” commented Lerda. In an update on the debt refinance options, Todd Goffoy of Piper Sandler presented two bid options.

The bids went out to 35 banks, and two of the banks responded with offers. First State Community Bank was the first to respond, but Central Bank offered better terms.

Central Bank offered a 2.25 percent 15-year fixed rate with no pre-payment penalty. The rate will drop the current repayment amount from $200,000 per year to $107,000 per year, pay off the current SRF bonds, as well as the lease.

And it will allow cash out to pay for infrastructure repairs and upgrades without raising customer rates.

After reviewing the presentation, the BPW voted to recommend the bid from Central Bank to the City Council for approval.

In new business, Lerda announced that Holden received a $50,000 grant for non-playground scrap rubber.

“I would like to give a special thank you to Ray Briscoe, who did all the leg-work and made this grant possible,” he commented.

In a sewer system update, Lerda explained that the system is performing well.

“Even with the huge, huge amounts of rain, the water overflowed the berms, but the berms held,” he said.

Crews discovered swirling water in some ditches, so O&M crews dug down and fixed them so the water will flow more freely going forward.

Lerda also said O&M will be working with the neighbor down the road by the sewer plant to address concerns about debris during heavy rain causing the drainage ditch to back up and overflow into his pasture.

Lerda and the neighbor have agreed to adjust the current fence to go over the road rather than leaving the gap and trying to build a water crossing over the creek for the livestock.

In other news, Lerda confirmed that Evergy has sent the materials, so O&M will work with the City of Holden to install electricity and lights downtown. The meeting adjourned, to reconvene in October.