The long-awaited Duvall Valley Water Improvement Project, with the goal of correcting years of problems with low and/or no water to many areas of eastern Clinton County, is still ongoing, despite confusion created when a pair of resolutions pertaining to the funding of that system were tabled last week at the regular meeting of the Albany City Council.
A pair of resolutions accepting a grant assistance agreement, authorizing amendment of annual budget and authorizing representative (new mayor James Bray) to sign all related documents, were tabled by the council, initially indicating the laying of water lines in the area could cease until questions could be answered.
David Bowles of Monarch Engineers told the council there were five sources of funding for the project, and that KIA (Kentucky Infrastructure Authority) wants the new mayor to be recognized as the representative to sign all documentation related to the project.
It was noted during the discussion on that particular funding source that KIA’s contribution of a 2.5 million dollars was a loan, with the interest to cost the city $90,000 per year over a 30 year period, according to Councilman Reed Sloan.
Some councilman noted the total $6.8 million project covered only 60 percent of the total area.
Councilman Junior Gregory said he was under the impression that the project was “fully funded.” “I don’t see how the city can incur a $90,000 debt over the next 30 years,” he said, asking whether or not the city could hold off on the resolution to see if more funds could be found.
Councilman Sloan then asked what were the odds of fixing the (Duvall Valley area) problems.
Bowles said it should reduce water loss in that area and that some leaks had been found while the new lines were being laid.
Gregory then made a motion to table action on the resolution on Phase I, which was seconded by Sloan, and passed unanimously.
A second resolution pertaining to the project funding was also tabled following a motion by Sloan.
Following the meeting, Bowles said that, with the resolution not passing, work on the project would likely cease by contractors.
However, later in the week, Albany Mayor James Bray and Tim Humble from Flo-Line Contractors of Monticello, did confirm that work on the line construction project would continue.
The mayor and contractor met last Thursday and drove through the area in eastern Clinton County where the line is to be completed with the current funds available, and each confirmed that construction would go forward.
Bray also expressed concerns of some council members about the scope of the project, saying the lines themselves would not go all the way into Duvall Valley or the Sugar Valley area, and also said he had always been under the assumption that the project was totally funded, without $250,000 having to be paid back over time.
To continue the work and progress on the project thus far, construction of lines to the areas covered under the funding of $6.8 million will continue, as it was noted that the resolutions were only “tabled,” but the project was not halted.
Although lines will not be run all through the area, and one storage tank will have to be delayed in being installed, the contractor did have positive news about what the project will entail and how it should help all residents in the area.
The project will include 12 fire hydrants, 18 connections from old to new lines, a new pump station near Smith’s Creek, 94 new meter settings-radio ready and include 8.5 miles of line with 32,000 LF of that being 12 inch line.
“The new lines and pump station will get Duvall Valley and Sugar Valley more pressure,” Humble said.
The new station can pump enough water per minute and can be turned up at times when pressure is low.
Mayor Bray said the line stops at the Y between Sugar Valley and Duvall Valley around Hwy. 415 with the 12 inch line connecting to the existing six inch line. “We will need a 12 inch line in the future when funds are available,” he added.
The mayor reiterated that the council was apparently  unaware that the KIA portion of funding was a loan, and the repayment over 30 years would be hard for the city to bear.
(A mapping of the served area where water lines will be laid is published with this article.)
The mayor also has serious concerns about water treatment plant A, which generates two of the five million gallons of water per day, being in extremely poor condition and noted he is seeking assistance from every possible source, from the governor down to legislators to get funding to repair the current water system.
The city council held a special called meeting on the water line project, as well as other items of business, this past Monday, and  was expected to approve the resolutions allowing the construction of the water line project to proceed on schedule. Details of that meeting can be found on page 1.