Sewers in Deer Creek, Wyndance and the Meadows questionable

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WINFIELD — The first meeting of the newly seated Winfield Sewer Board recognized that an agreement signed by former Town Council president Jim Hicks did not meet the legal requirements for being done in a public meeting.

The minutes of the Dec. 20 meeting were accepted by the new board after board member B.C. Spear, who was at that meeting, told the board that the minutes accurately reflected what happened at that meeting. He was the only person at that meeting now on the board.

The new board has replaced Hicks with new council president Paulette Skinner, who has joined existing board members Mark Wacnik and Spear.

New Town Attorney David Austgen told the board that there was no public meeting at which sanitary service to Wyndance subdivision was approved.

“I got it (the contract signed by Hicks and Thieneman) as an email prior to early December, before it was signed,” Spear said. “It was not discussed at the meeting.”

According to Austgen, the state had notified the town about Deer Creek lift station failures with immediate environmental problems and the sewers serving Deer Creek, Wyndance and the Meadows are all connected.

Clerk-Treasurer Rick Anderson told the board that the town is holding a $97,000 bond from Thieneman.

Spear said, “We took that money to extend and update the Wyndance/Meadows sewer extension project.”

Councilman Don Samburg, who has been working on this problem, told the board, “The minute we became aware of the situation and got permission to go on the land we have to remediate.” Samburg went on to say, “We have an estimate closer to $22,000. The station was completely down and one pump that wet the electrical equipment. It is my opinion that no maintenance was done for some time. The phone (warning) system is out. I think the whole station has to be overhauled.”

Austgen reminded the board and council that anything that this body does needs to be done in public. Decision on the emergency work was continued to the next meeting. If necessary, a special meeting can be called so all decisions are at a public meeting.

According to Austgen, nothing will be done expending funds that is not discussed and voted upon in a public meeting.