Town Board Still Dealing With Water
By Emily Gabert
Concerns about potential hydrant leaks in Water District Two were addressed during the Berlin Town Board’s Thursday, May 9 meeting. Some of these leaks have already been resolved, while others still need to be fixed. One of the larger leaks is at the end of North Main Street.
Highway Superintendent Jim Winn said he and his crew listened to some of the leaks with a stethoscope-like device. Some are old hydrants that need to be replaced, while some of the newer ones, such as the one near the firehouse, sound like a smaller leak. They found that the hydrant by the First Baptist Church sounded as if it has some issues with the line that runs the water to it. Another one across from the old town hall was also said to be problematic.
Councilwoman Tara Fisher asked about what had happened to the extra hydrants that the Town used to have in storage and was told there are apparently only three left.
It was noted that well pumps in Water District 2 have more than one backup in the case of an emergency. Concerns about the system were brought up and it was explained that there are a total of three pumps that will work in the event that one fails. The pumps run continuously over the course of twenty-four hours.
Jim Winn reported that there has been some delay when it has come to getting road-grading work done, most of which is due to the weather. Patching the roads has been difficult to attend to because of the rain filling up the holes. Some gravel has been put down on the roads and other cleaning work has also been done.
Mr. Winn also said that there will be work done to Watson Road to help accommodate the rising amounts of traffic that the area receives. They hope to get paving work done on the road next year along with widening out the bridge.
Pam Gerstel, Chairman of the Planning Board, asked the Town Board if it would cover the costs of having four members of the Planning Board attend training. She said that in the past they have covered the costs themselves. The Board voted in favor of the measure, which would be a total cost of $120. Gerstel said she would check to make sure all four are going.