Cloverdale council approves update to town’s GIS system

CLOVERDALE — Though one of a few costly purchases recently made, a new GPS system for Cloverdale’s utilities is meant for more peace of mind.

Town Manager Jason Hartman discussed having GPS work with the town’s existing geographic information system (GIS) during the Cloverdale Town Council’s regular meeting Tuesday evening.

The GIS is used to keep track of water lines, hydrants, property lines, street lights and other infrastructure. With a town employee being designated as a coordinator, Hartman said GPS would “help tremendously” when personnel do not know where water lines and valves might be.

“We rely on institutional knowledge from (Street Superintendent) Brad (Fulk) and (Water Treatment Manager) Richard Saucerman for this information,” Hartman said, stipulating that “we don’t know how long those folks will be here.”

Hartman spoke on a “week from hell” recently where the town had six different digs, five of them being for water and the last being for sewer. One of those was for a leak in an undeveloped part of Stardust Hills, where it took three days to find the appropriate valve and isolate the leak.

Hartman said having a GPS would not only help pinpoint these issues, but that this information could then be put into GIS. The crux was having the “full capacity” to “do what we need to do with it.”

“This probably isn’t going to benefit us in the next few years, but somebody’s going to be glad we did this 10 years down the road,” Hartman said. “There’s a big difference between seeing it on a map and going out in a woods where you can’t find this infrastructure, and it makes it very difficult to make a repair.”

The council approved purchasing a Trimble R2 receiver, which can locate infrastructure within a foot, for $8,850. This was compared to $5,516.06 for a Trimble R1, which can locate within three feet. Clerk-Treasurer Kelly Maners said the cost could be split between the Water, Sewer and the Motor Vehicle and Highway funds.

The council also approved repairs for two sewer flow meters by Gripp Incorporated. The cost was $3,799.13, which Maners said could be covered by Food and Beverage. Hartman added that the meters would have data for the town’s preliminary engineering report (PER) for water improvements.

Other items approved under Hartman’s purview included purchasing a new pipe saw for a quote of $3,262, as well as a recommendation from Saucerman to replace a well pump for $5,433.

“I apologize for bringing expensive stuff to you,” Hartman told the council. “I promise next month it won’t look like this.”

In other business:

• The council approved to have the private drive from Beagle Club Road to the old Holiday Inn site surveyed. Council President Rick Dearwester said the road’s owners indicated that they would help with repair costs, but that a survey was needed to get an estimate.

• The council appointed John Bailey to fill a vacancy on the Cloverdale Planning Commission.

• Pending drawings and providing a legal description, the council approved re-zoning a portion of the property at 101 Stardust Rd. (across from the Stardust Hills entrance) into industrial.

• The council approved to replace Samantha Hinman as a part-time utility employee. Hartman said Hinman’s reason for leaving was not negative with regard to the town.

• The council approved the town’s renewal of two policies for liability and property insurance. The total premium came at $52,725, with workers’ compensation being $10,464 and the regular insurance being $42,261. Maners noted that Cloverdale’s K-9 was included.

Larry Fidler was the only council member absent. Joining Hartman, Maners, Dearwester and the rest of the council were Town Marshal Steve Hibler and Town Attorney Richard Shagley.

The next regular meeting of the Cloverdale Town Council is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Cloverdale Town Hall.