September 5, 2017 - Workshop
The Town of Glen St. Mary held a workshop on Tuesday, September 5, 2017 at 6:06 P.M. at the Town Hall with Council Member Davis, Councilman Foster, Council Member Hodges, and Councilman Rhynehardt present. Mayor Juanice Padgett presided over the workshop.
The purpose of the workshop was to discuss the directional boring with the CDBG Grant.
Mr. Kyle Reneau told council that with the directional bore, it will go wherever it goes. He is concerned with the root system being washed out. He doesn’t want to have to pay for the tree to come down if the tree dies. He stated it is a big, tall tree that won’t die in a day, but may take five to ten years to die. Attorney Bense replied that he has done some research on this matter and found that if not more than forty percent of the roots are damaged, there is a high level chance of survival. Mr. Reneau added that they would like for it to stand, but don’t want the issue of taking it down if it dies. Mayor Padgett said she has talked with the engineer earlier in the day and stated we could start directional boring further down. Attorney Bense told Council that there is a procedure of eminent domain where the Town could take the property, but Mayor Padgett replied that we really don’t want to do that. Mr. Kyle Reneau stated not everyone is here to give their opinion. Mayor Padgett asked what everyone thought would work out. Councilman Foster stated if they bored north of the tree, the Reneau’s would have to pipe the sewer line to their house. Mayor Padgett wants everyone to be able to hook up. Councilman Rhynehardt made the suggestion that if we took the tree down, there would be no long term liability to the Town. Councilman Foster stated he could see both sides of the issue. Council member Davis said she would take the tree down. Mr. Reneau asked what Council would do if the tree were theirs. Councilman Rhynehardt replied that he had all but two of his trees cut down. He said they looked good, but found they were rotted inside. Council member Davis stated she would agree to three years to take it down if it dies in that time. Councilman Foster stated that he believed within three to five years of the directional bore we could tell if it were dying. Mr. Kyle Reneau stated he would like to see the tree stand because it produces a lot of nuts each year. Councilman Foster suggested directional boring up to the tree, then using the backhoe to go around the tree to go the other thirty feet. Mr. Kyle and his brother Adam Reneau told Council that if the tree dies after the directional bore and the Town then takes the tree down, they believe it would rip the sewer lines out of the ground. Both Kyle and his brother Adam Reneau agreed they would not be opposed to the tree coming down or to directional bore so far then go around the tree. They were going to go home and get the other property owners opinions. The Town was going to get bids to have the tree removed prior to the directional bore. The decision will be voted on in a regular scheduled meeting.
Mayor Padgett told Council that Matt Torgerson made a list of lift stations in Town we are responsible for pumping if the Town loses power during the hurricane. There are thirteen lift stations. He went around and checked them. Ideally they should have a plug and vent, but we have two that do not have either. Mayor Padgett asked Councilman Foster how big the tanks are. He responded that most are thirty-five or fifty. He told Council that Diana Collins has a one hundred and twenty gallons. Mayor Padgett told Council that she spoke with Mr. Alex Robinson and asked what it would cost to wire a receptacle so we can connect to the lift station and pump the tank down. He told her it could cost up to $1,000, but that is a worst case scenario without seeing just what he had to do. Councilman Foster said he could connect to the generator with a 220 plug. Mayor Padgett doesn’t want to connect to their house. The frequency of needing to pump each tank depends on how many people are in the home and how often the water is used. Mayor Padgett asked how we could vent the two lift stations. Councilman Foster said both homes are vented over at the side of the house.
Mayor Padgett closed the workshop at 7:05 P.M.