While investigating structural integrity of the Chugwater museum building, the external stucco was removed, with major damage to the hand-painted mural. One estimate for repairs is nearly $17k. …
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CHUGWATER – The August 6 meeting of the Chugwater Town Council saw its representatives postponing a vote until its September meeting, whether to accept a petition to de-annex 174 acres of agricultural land that is separated from the platted portion of the town by the interstate. Petitioners say they do not have services – and there is no plan for services from the town to be connected to their properties– and the county’s rules are more appropriate for governing their agricultural land; opponents assert the de-annexation a dangerous proposition for the town financially, since the small town would lose more than it can afford in population-based funding from grants, sales-use tax distributions, and even optional sales-use tax funds.
During heavy rains in July, it was revealed the drainage pathway to the holding pond is not functioning properly and is instead flooding private property. Mayor Ash asked if the council wanted to entertain hiring the engineer who designed the drainage to determine what needed to be done to fix it. It was suggested the issue with the drainage may have been caused by dirt from a nearby lot’s construction project being placed in the drainage space.
Councilman John Burns responded to the suggestion of hiring an engineering study, expressing his surprise the council wants to spend thousands of dollars of the minimal funds the town must pay engineers who would then tell them what can be discovered by looking at it “ourselves.” Maintenance supervisor Pete Delgado said the town doesn’t have all the tools to determine elevation and distance; Burns disagreed, stating more simple tools that he has available will work.
It was determined Burns and Delgado would look at the drainage the same week to determine what was causing the blockage of the drainage. A report of progress will be given at the next council meeting.
One item added to the agenda was a discussion of museum repairs. Mayor Carol Ash explained her understanding is there were $800 worth of repairs authorized to stabilize the building. She further explained the contractor says he was told to look for anything else that needed to be fixed structurally, which including testing various points along the stucco walls. He then submitted a bid for repairs totaling almost $17,000.