City of Auxvasse to complete water project June 22

Residents should expect another 3 water boil orders

A worker reaches for a wrench as his team connects old and new water lines near Casey's in Auxvasse on April 20 as part of the city's water improvement project, which will add fire hydrants, water lines and an additional water well. The water project will increase the volume for the city's water usage. "It is a project that had to be done," Mayor Kevin Phares previously told the Fulton Sun.
A worker reaches for a wrench as his team connects old and new water lines near Casey's in Auxvasse on April 20 as part of the city's water improvement project, which will add fire hydrants, water lines and an additional water well. The water project will increase the volume for the city's water usage. "It is a project that had to be done," Mayor Kevin Phares previously told the Fulton Sun.

After a series of water line updates, Auxvasse expects its water improvement project to be completed by June 22.

In their regular meeting Tuesday, the Auxvasse Board of Aldermen discussed the final steps Hutchins Telecom LLC needs to take in order to finish the water improvement project. In addition to repaving city streets, 20 service connections and nine large system connections will need to be made.

City Supervisor Mike Bertschinger said the next step will be to place three more service connections followed by a system connection. Weather conditions will determine when the system connection can be placed. Bertschinger added that a cracked valve, which created a leak on Walnut Street, will need to be shut off and capped before the project can be finished.

"We're on the downhill slide," Bertschinger said. "It's just getting the last bits and pieces to fit together."

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) required Auxvasse to make changes to its water system, which included adding fire hydrants, water lines and an additional water well.

The city's budget for the project was $1.99 million, the Fulton Sun previously reported, but the lowest bidder for the contract was still $219,000 more than that budget. Additional funding for the project came from the DNR as a result of other communities backing out of projects. However, the city also made some changes to the water improvement project to keep it within budget. Bertschinger said cuts to the project means two blocks of West Harrison Street won't see water line updates.

The well house is supposed to come this week and the city expects another three boil orders before the project is completed, Bertschinger said.

In other news, Alderman Terry Walker reintroduced the city ordinance which prohibits farm animals from being kept or held within city limits. He said people should be able to keep chickens on their private property as long as it doesn't violate the tranquility of that person's neighbors.

"I hate that we have to build around the few," Walker said at Tuesday's meeting.

Questions arose concerning the regulation of a nuisance ordinance as the city still faces problems with controlling dogs.

"I don't see a problem with a responsible person having chickens," Alderman Mike Bickel said at the meeting. "But we need to think on this more and have the past and present ordinances in front of us."

The ordinance will be put on the agenda for the board of aldermen's next meeting.