WINONA – Shelia Williams with Engineering Services of Grenada presented a hydraulics analysis of the city’s water service at Tuesday’s meeting of the Winona Board of Aldermen.
The analysis, approved by the board last year, is a computerized diagram of the city’s water system that tells the location of every water meter, pumping station, size and location of water lines, and the possibility of adding future lines.
Tuesday, Williams showed the board why an area along the Highway 82 bypass had low water pressure, in particular the Fresenius Dialysis Unit located on the north side of Highway 82.
“The height of the elevated water take is 603 feet,” Williams said. “You only have as much pressure as the water in that tank.”
Williams said with the different elevations along that route of the water system, the water pressure varies.
“The [Mississippi State Department of Health] demands 20 pounds of pressure minimum,” Williams said. “They have 42 pounds of pressure at [Fresenius].”
Williams gave the board several options to improve water pressure to the dialysis unit and the surrounding businesses and residences.
She said the city could raise the height of the elevated water tank on Highway 82, build a booster station on the line at a cost of around $100,000, or it could dig a new well near the Pilot Travel Center to cover the entire Highway 82 corridor as well as the area off Middleton Road at a cost of $250,000 to $500,000.
Williams said if the board opted to install a new booster system, it could accommodate future growth along the Highway 82/Interstate 55 corridor.
“I think we need to look forward,” Williams said.
In other city news:
• Charles Walker, owner of Bridges Quik Way, informed the board of his concerns regarding food trucks and other vendors setting up throughout the city.
“We open businesses, and try to build those businesses,” Walker said. “We pay taxes. Then someone comes in and sets up near you, and can set up signs and banners and only pay $20 per year to do that.”
According to Winona City Clerk June Williams, a permit to operate as a vendor in Winona is a $20 annual fee. However, those vendors are required to collect sales tax on all sales. For transient vendors, they are required to pay $250 every three months and carry a $2,000 bond.
The board said they would look into the fee system for vendors and decide whether to amend the current city ordinance.
• Winona Water Superintendent informed the board that his water and street crews have been working the past several days to repair a sewer line near the intersection of Highway 407 and Church Street. He said he hoped to have the problem fixed in the next day or two.
• Winona Park Director Mike Narmour informed the board that a baseball tournament is scheduled for this weekend if the weather permits.
• Winona Chief of Police Tommy Bibbs informed the board that Patrolman Blake Bell will graduate from the Mississippi Police Academy this week.
• The board adopted a resolution to accept the DUI grant in the amount of $10,278.48, to begin on October 1.
• The board approved Alderwoman Sarah Minnieweather’s request to waive her salary as an alderwoman until further notice.
• The board approved City Attorney Ray Baum to amend the current rental agreement for the Winona Community House and the Winona Community Center. In the future, if given final approval by the board, to rent the facilities, a tenant may not have outstanding court fines or water or garbage bills.
