City Council Update, November 18, 2024

Council discussed the HomeGuard program for basement flooding prevention, approved a new sewer inspection camera and facilities condition assessment, discussed updating meeting procedures, and announced new hires to fully staff the finance department.

HomeGuard Program for Backflow Valves

The county gave a presentation on their HomeGuard program.

Residents in the pilot area can get up to $15,000 worth of backflow valves and a sump pump to help prevent basement flooding.

The results of this pilot will then be used to apply for federal grants to roll the program out to the entire county.

Homes south of Larkmoor and east of Cass are eligible.

Funding is limited, so don't wait to apply.

New Sewer Inspection Camera

Council authorized the purchase of a new camera for sewer line inspections.

The city has about 150 miles of sewer that are inspected and rated continuously on a three-year cycle. This allows us to determine where our priority replacement and relining areas should be.

DPW gave a presentation showing how the increased camera quality will help speed up the rating process.

Facilities Assessment

Council approved a facility condition assessment.

This will give us a clearer idea of the condition of our major buildings, as well as ongoing maintenance and equipment replacement costs.

As a result, we will be able to more accurately budget and make decisions on building improvements.

Council Rules and Calendar

Council discussed updates to their rules of procedure and calendar.

We decided to meet twice every month. Currently, there are five months a year they only meet once a month.

We also decided to schedule work sessions before every council meeting. These are more informal times when we can discuss upcoming issues before bringing them to a regular meeting for making a final decision.