Osage County Herald-Chronicle

Whose line is it anyway?
County debates future of sewer line beneath courthouse

Wayne White
Managing Editor

It might be out of sight, but it’s not out of mind. Osage County Commissioners were asked Monday to consider how they would prefer to repair a sewer line that runs under the courthouse.

Reported to the commission by Lyndon City Administrator Larry Thurston, a main sewer line that serves most of the north side of Lyndon goes directly under the Osage County Courthouse from north to south.

“It drains everything we’ve got … from up there at the top of the hill,” Thurston said, explaining the line follows U.S. Highway 75 south until it reaches the block where the courthouse is located. From there it runs east to a manhole and then south under the courthouse.

Investigation done several years ago determined the courthouse sewer line has three points in need of repair. Thurston said two of the repair points are on the south side of the courthouse, while one appears to be at the north edge of the building’s foundation.

While the city’s sewer renovation project is now underway, Lyndon’s city council and mayor have been considering a plan to reroute the main sewer flow to a line east of the courthouse, eliminating the need for the main line under the courthouse.

“The city is interested in discontinuing this line going south (from the manhole,)” Thurston said.

“That takes away potential for a bigger problem for the county,” he said, giving an example that if the sewer became plugged, it could back up into the courthouse basement.

“I think the city wants to lower their liability,” he said.

With the line blocked on the north side, it would remain only as a service line for the courthouse.

Osage County Commissioner Carl Meyer noted the courthouse’s sewer is working properly, despite the needed repairs.

The city is awaiting an engineer’s opinion on the plan to reroute the sewer, Thurston said.

He said other options would be to leave the line as a main sewer line and repair the three points at a cost of $4,500, or reline the entire length of line from one side of the courthouse to the other. Currently, both types of repairs are being done on the city’s system. Point repairs require excavation, while the relining process, which lines the pipe with PVC, is done from within manholes. Relining the entire length could cost more, but would be a more permanent fix.

Thurston said a video camera is to be used to determine the extent of repair needed.

Questioned by Meyer, Thurston agreed the main sewer line is the responsibility of the city, unless it is converted to the courthouse’s service line.

“The city, without your participation, is committed to making the repairs and getting by,” Thurston said.

“The city might ask the county if they want that lined and want to participate in [the cost],” he said. “The city would like you to consider what you would like to do here.”

County counselor Delton Gilliland pointed out it was the city’s responsibility “to get a service line up to the point we hook on.”

Osage County Commissioner Larry Woodson said repairing the line would benefit the county and the city.

“Anything that improves the courthouse, benefits us all long-range,” Woodson said.

Commissioners agreed to seek advice from an architect. Thurston said a new video of the line would help determine how to best repair the line; engineers will determine whether the rerouting plan is feasible.

The sewer project should be completed within six months from when it began, Thurston said.

Osage County Commissioner William Prescott noted that if excavation was required, and along with the ongoing courthouse renovations, “This building will look like it’s under attack.”

In other business, the commission:

• approved a purchase order for $750 for a second set of aerial photographs at the request of Becky Bartley, who oversees the county’s geographical information system. Bartley explained the main set of images require too much computer memory to be viewed on most of the county’s computers; the second set would be smaller file sizes.

• held a conference call with the county’s auditor, Scot Loyd, of Swindoll, Janzen, Hawk, & Loyd LLC, to discuss the county’s budget. The commission will hold more budget discussion during a special meeting Friday.

• heard a budget request for $4,500 from Sara Caylor, of Court Appointed Special Advocates.

• discussed with Jay Zimmerschied, architect with Treanor Architects, plans for renovation of the courtroom. Commissioners agreed to delay that project for one year, until the courthouse renovation project is completed.

• agreed that Treanor will work with a fire consultant to develop solutions to recent notices of violations issued by the state fire marshal’s office for fire safety concerns at the courthouse.