May 07, 2008 10:45 pm
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By Greg Grisolano
ggrisolano@joplinglobe.com
DUQUESNE, Mo. — Memo to septic-tank owners in Duquesne who are dealing with sewage overflow from all the rain: Relief is on the way.
The Missouri Clean Water Commission voted Wednesday to distribute grant funding to 10 communities, including Duquesne, to help finance municipal sewer construction.
David Weaver, president of the town’s Board of Aldermen, said Duquesne has been trying to fund a sewer system for more than 30 years.
“As of today, it’s definitely coming,” he said. “We’ve been trying to get it passed since the 1970s. It’s been a long time coming.”
Weaver said the city will receive two grants, totaling $2.5 million, to help finance a sewer project that would replace septic tanks. He said Duquesne has about 700 homes on septic tanks.
The road to finally constructing a municipal sewer system started last August, when city officials became aware of the state grant money, Weaver said.
At that point, the city put issues on the November ballot that would impose a half-cent sales tax and grant the city the authority to issue sewer revenue bonds up to $4.5 million. Voters approved both propositions.
Weaver said both items were contingent upon the city receiving the state dollars.
“It was still up in the air until today’s vote,” he said Wednesday.
The city still has some issues to clear up before work on the project can begin. Weaver said the city is surveying and drawing up plans for easements, which will be taken up at a public hearing this summer. The city also is developing a comprehensive plan for zoning that will be addressed at a public forum in June.
The city’s plan is to bring the sewer line to within 100 feet of every residence in Duquesne. Homeowners will be responsible for paying for the cost of hooking their homes up to the pipe. Weaver said one local contractor estimated that cost at $8 per foot.
“We will pursue additional grants to help offset the cost for low-income families,” he said.
Requirement
The state funding requires that every home in the community hook up to the sewer line.
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