Fremont discusses sewer upgrades
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on March 23, 2017 9:57 AM
FREMONT -- The Fremont Board of Aldermen discussed sewer pump improvements, set costs for new cremation lots and addressed a town hall safety concern at its meeting Tuesday evening.
Fremont's sewer pumps have been a long-standing point of concern for the town, as most of them have aged past the point of reliability and now require constant upkeep at substantial cost to the town.
Now, the town will apply for a state grant that would allow it to completely renovate three of the pumps, replacing the aging buildings with new submergible pumps which would require significantly less maintenance.
The grant would supplement two other large grants -- of $1 million and $1.2 million -- that the town has received to work on its lagoons and to fix damaged sewer lines.
The cemetery plots have been another occasional topic of discussion in previous board meetings. On Tuesday, the board announced pricing levels for new cremation plots owned by the town itself. For residents of Fremont, plots will cost $300, while out-of-town customers will need to pay $600. Ms. Aycock said that no plots will be sold to funeral homes or undertakers to avoid any communication issues between customers and the town.
The safety concern centered on the town hall building's second floor, which is currently accessed through a pull-down attic staircase which Town Administrator Barbara Aycock said is worrisome for town staff to navigate.
The town keeps its records on the second floor of the building, so town staff are frequently required to carry heavy boxes of documents up the narrow staircase. Ms. Aycock said she is concerned that one of her staff members could fall and get hurt.
As a result, the town board agreed to have a permanent staircase installed in the building in place of a small closet, at a cost of $4,400. Alderman Joyce Artis requested that the board take time to search for another quote before accepting the price, but she was the only dissenting vote when it came time to decide.