Council Notified of Imminent Infrastructure Needs; Garbage Rates to Slightly Increase Soon

The Groesbeck City Council made quick work of their meeting on Tuesday, June 18, appointing Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Board members and discussing infrastructure that will need attention in the near future.
EDC Director TK Presley explained that bylaws require four council members to serve on the EDC Board, and the mayor and mayor pro-tem hold two of those positions. The other two spots were open for appointment, and Tamika Jackson and Marcus McGruder were voted into the roles.
Presley further stated that former council member Sonia Selvera expressed interest in continuing her service to the EDC Board as a citizen, and the council approved her appointment.
City Administrator Chris Henson shared details of the two ground storage tanks located across from Groesbeck High School that will need some repairs to satisfy the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ) requirements, calling on Public Works Director Keith Tilley for more information.
“When TCEQ inspected this year, they found some serious problems with the smaller tank,” Tilley said. “It serves as a water storage tank and it is a critical infrastructure tank that we have to have in order to store enough water to meet our demand needs. I don’t think it will have to be a replacement job, it will be a rehab job which is substantially cheaper; that said, nothing is cheap these days. We usually get about 20 years out of those rehab jobs.”
Henson stated that they are still getting numbers and estimates, but repair of the smaller, 32-foot tank had been estimated at $88,000, and repair of the larger, 52-foot tank was estimated at $174,000. Tilley added that if no repairs are made, failures could begin to crop up in four to six months.
Mayor Matthew Dawley inquired about the cost of replacing the tanks, but Tilley stated it was significantly costlier. The repairs would take about 30 days to complete, and the smaller tank would be out of service during that time.
“We are still getting answers and numbers but we wanted to put this on your radar,” Henson said. “This isn’t the nice shiny stuff people like to see, but this is stuff that has to be done, or your city’s in trouble. No action is needed today but it’s something we’re working on and something we will have to address sooner or later.”
In a similar vein, Tilley spoke about maintenance work at the sewer plant and a lagoon, or holding pond, for excessive rainwater that is later treated and used. He noted that the sludge at the bottom of the lagoon has built up to a point that has limited the capacity of the pond to about half. An outside company with the proper equipment could be contracted to remove the sludge for about $70,000. Henson again repeated that though this is not a “fun” expense, it is vital to keeping infrastructure working properly, and will be presented again in the future for a council decision.
In closing remarks, Henson stated that Frontier Waste Solutions will be increasing their residential garbage rates by 53 cents; the adjustment is within their contractual rights to apply. He added that the software that the city uses for garbage/water billing is outdated but they are working to update and clarify the bill format.
The next City Council Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 16 at 6 p.m. in the City Commons.