Jackson aldermen clear way for new water well

The Jackson Board of Aldermen Monday night approved a $744,990 contract to Robinson Mechanical Contractors Inc. for the construction of a new water well on the northwest end of town.

The new well, the city's seventh, will be approximately 1,700 feet deep and help meet the water demands of Jackson's residential and commercial growth.

The city has not yet reached its maximum supply capacity, which is 2,200 gallons per minute. But, public works director Rodney Bollinger has said the city has come close to reaching that capacity in the summer. The new well will help assure that the city will not reach maximum supply capacity.

A 24-foot by 14-foot well house will also be constructed at the site; it will contain a well pump, chlorine feed system, fluoride feed system, phosphate feed system and related mechanical and electrical equipment and controls. The estimated date of completion for the project is mid to late summer.

The measure passed by a vote of 5-2.

Aldermen David Reiminger and Phil Penzel voted no on the contract ordinance Monday night because they had heard about some bad work performed by one of the subcontractors Robinson Mechanical will hire to do some drilling. Both declined to name the subcontractor specifically.

"I still had some questions about one of the subcontractors and for the taxpayers' dollars, my job is to give them the best," Reiminger said. "So I had to vote no."

License to demolish

Janet Sanders, Jackson building and planning superintendent, said Monday night that the victims of the May 6 tornado need to get demolition licenses before they tear down structures.

"What's happening is they're tearing down their buildings, but not getting their utilities cut off," she said.

Sanders added that the city has issued 10 contractors licenses since the tornado.

bmiller@semissourian.com

243-6635