Three Rivers City Commission approves funding for water meters, pickleball courts
All agenda items passed without public comment and with little discussion from commissioners. The two largest expenses — the water meter and transmitter replacements and the pickleball courts — total just under $510,000 combined. Funding for the pickleball courts will be distributed in phases during construction rather than in a single lump sum.
The Three Rivers City Commission met for its regularly scheduled biweekly meeting Tuesday night, lasting just over 30 minutes. Commissioners approved funding for water meter and transmitter replacements, new pickleball courts, and well maintenance, as well as an interim ban on PFAS discharges.
The PFAS measure prohibits discharge into the municipal sewer system until the city’s local limit study is finalized and a concentration limit is adopted. City staff reported the study is complete and the limits should be ready for adoption within the next few weeks.
“It’s pretty much just for an interim,” Mayor Tom Lowry said.
All agenda items passed without public comment and with little discussion from commissioners. The two largest expenses — the water meter and transmitter replacements and the pickleball courts — total just under $510,000 combined. Funding for the pickleball courts will be distributed in phases during construction rather than in a single lump sum.
“I like what you recommended with due diligence in giving them their money as each step is completed,” Lowry told City Manager Joe Bippus.
The new water meter transmitters are cellular-based and allow business owners and residents to monitor water usage and receive leak alerts via a smartphone app. The city’s meters were last replaced in 2013 and have an estimated lifespan of about 15 years. The city will purchase 1,075 transmitters at a total cost of $329,878.
Commissioners also approved a one-year extension of the Memory Isle Park bathroom grant amendment after bids came in “significantly higher than expected,” according to Lowry.
First District Commissioner Pat Dane raised a concern about burned-out bulbs on the Carnegie Center for the Arts sign. Bippus said he would send the organization a letter about the issue.
All city staff were in attendance, with the exception of Commissioner Torrey Brown.
The commission will meet again on Tuesday, August 19.
Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.
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