Monticello City Council hears water reports

by David Boyle
News Director
Members of the Monticello City Council reviewed water concerns, looked at a final budget review, and talked about the future of the landfill at their latest meeting.
During public comment at the May 26 meeting, members of the city council heard from resident Von Black about the leak at the city culinary water pond.
Black brought the issue to a city council meeting on April 28, although he had brought the issue to the city before that. Black estimates the loss of the leak at 50 gallons per minute which he calculates to be two million gallons a month. At the May 26 meeting, Black again urged the council to take action especially under current conditions, including the state-declared drought emergency. 
At the April meeting, Mayor Kevin Dunn said he had spoken with state officials to look at the pond, noting that earthen dams have the tendency to leak and the fact that the water is clear means the dam integrity is not being challenged. Still council at the April meeting agreed informally that a measurement of the amount of water being lost would be beneficial to determining a course of action.
At the May council, city staff reported they are awaiting specialized metering equipment and a visit from a state inspector to get an accurate reading.
Public Works Director Chris Baird provided a report on the city well system, noting his crews has been working hard to bring several wells back online.
Progress has been made on the Second East well, where a hole near the pump had caused short-circuiting.
Repairs have since been made and were significantly less than the original $20,000 estimate. Baird shared a report on wells at the city ball fields, Circle Park, and the Industrial Park, noting that while some wells serve as culinary backup, others are tied into the secondary irrigation system and provide the city with flexibility for water management.
In further water reports, Assistant City Manager Megan Gallegos shared that total secondary water usage across Pioneer, Veterans, Circle and the ball field parks totaled 554,000 gallons year-to-date. Those figures were shown to be significantly lower than previous years which council noted reflected an active effort for conservation.
The Hideout Golf Course has also reported a shift in water management efforts. Superintendent Bill Olson reports that the installation of a new physical meter has provided more accurate data than the previous computer-generated estimates.
The computer-estimated usage was 205 acre feet, but the new meter projects the course will use between 109 and 130 acre-feet this year, a reduction of nearly half.
Achieving those savings has come as the course has reduced watering in roughs and perimeters and focused on critical areas, including greens and tee boxes. 
Olson said that while fairways can go dormant and recover, while the sand-based greens require daily watering to survive.
City Manager Kaeden Kulow also presented a final budget review. The highlight of the financial report is a significant surge in sales tax revenue. While originally projected at $450,000, the city now estimates to receive over $500,000 in sales tax by the end of the fiscal year.
Council also discussed a staff proposed purchase of a used bulldozer at a cost of $30,000 to help with trash compaction at the city landfill.
Council members warned against buying cheaper equipment that could incur high repair costs and recommended an increase for the dozer budget to $65,000.
The investment is seen as critical to extend the life of the landfill, which is reportedly at 90-95-percent capacity. However staff reports that properly compacting waste and managing cover dirt may help delay the expensive process of closing the landfill and transitioning to a transfer station.
Council members also celebrated the ribbon cutting and opening of the new ADA playground equipment at Veterans Memorial Park.
The event included a hot dog dinner provided by the Lions Club and also a Pinewood Derby, which drew an estimated 100 to 150 people.
In other reports, the city pool is now open for the season with an average of 50 swimmers daily in the first two days of operation.
The city is preparing for a $120,000 match for a federally funded project to redo the airport runway and install LED lighting.
Council also heard the Spring Creek Pipeline project remains on track with environmental reviews expected to conclude in May.