Public Works Manager Described and Sewer Project Revisited in Mtn. View

The Board of Aldermen of Mountain View met in special session on May 9. Once again, the municipal budget dominated the discussion. Department heads from the wastewater, fire, streets, and sanitation departments addressed the administration regarding their departments’ priorities for spending in the coming year. Council took no action. 

They did, however, unanimously approve the job description of the newly created role of Public Works Operations Manager, as recorded by the draft minutes of the meeting. The three-page document describing the job duties reads in part, “Reporting to the Mayor and/or Board, this position functions at a management level. Responsibilities include the direct and indirect supervision of supervisory, technical, and support staff.”

The position will not coordinate operations within city hall, but instead supervise and manage all municipal public works divisions in Mountain View. 

The Board heard also from Bob Summers with Horner and Shifrin regarding the large-scale sewer restoration project in Mountain View, which has been under discussion for years. The previous administration’s last decision with the project was to approve seeking a grant from the Department of Natural Resources to offset the more than $6 million price tag. Summers’ presentation last Monday was on the possibility of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. He told the board he believes the city may be eligible for a multimillion-dollar award.

In a follow-up interview with Howell County News, Mayor John Krasuski confirmed the city is eligible. 

“We had a virtual meeting with the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and we definitely qualify,” Krasuski said.

Funding the sewer project with grant funds as much as possible is the goal, Mayor Krasuski said, and the city is also seeking additional engineering bids.

“I want to see competition and apply for the ARPA grants,” he said.

When the voters approved a bond for the sewer project, they did so in the understanding that the city had access to a $3 million grant, the mayor insisted. That particular funding could not be secured, but this administration is determined to honor a cap of $3 million in borrowed money for this project.

“The voters said $3 million,” Krasuski said. “I don’t care how you write the ballot language.”

Additional items of note at this meeting included:

-Alan Stocki of Current Electric addressed the board about the possibility of installing fiber throughout town. The Board of Aldermen unanimously voted to table the topic for further discussion. 

-The Board approved a plan to install an asphalt approach to the Anchor Convenience Store on County Road 3500 with a budget of $12,000. 

-The ordinance defining the process of shutting off utilities was determined to be too vague. It will be revised at a future meeting to make the shut-off process more straightforward. 

- A closed session regarding specific personnel began at 8:46 p.m. and ended at 10:35 p.m. with no votes recorded. 

The Board of Aldermen met again after press time on May 17.