Costly utility repairs tax city reserves

Substation, pumps need quick fix after recent bad weather

By JOHN RECH

news@theeveningtimes.com

Both the West Memphis Utilities Commission and the City Council Public Works Commission heard from Utilities General Manager Todd Pedersen during their May meetings about some very expensive repairs. The Polk Street substation was crippled by a direct lightning bolt hit. With repairs in the works for the city’s main storm pumps, a precarious financial balancing act was underway at the city.

“I sat in a chair and wanted to cry when I found out one of transformers took a lightning hit,” said Pedersen. “One of the internal windings of one of the transformers went to ground. That’s $1,000,000.”

Pedersen said a budget analysis with the city financial director was in order. He offered assurances to both groups the utility had reserves, but a spending dilemma loomed. The utility general manager said it was like a juggling act.

“I am trying to build a wastewater treatment plant,” said Pedersen. “We have to have a sit-down about all that. We have to have reserves in the case of another emergency. Right now, the ball is in the air and it’s wanting to come down and hit me on the head.”

The city utility was operating under a wastewater and storm water Corrective Action Plan (CAP) issued by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).

The storm water pumping and control station

See REPAIRS, page A3 REPAIRS

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remediation were set to start. One year ago this month, city council authorized pump repairs as three of the four city stormwater pumps were out of service. Problems with sink holes and erosion had undermined the current pumps and control house. Pedersen said the lightning strike would not derail the storm water project.

“I am building that building; it has to do with the flooding of the city,” said Pedersen. “It must be done.”

Mayor Marco McClendon asked city council members to draft a resolution asking for state aid to fund for the storm water pumping.

“It’s a large amount of money,” said McClendon. “We need to show city council is of one accord and ask the state for the money on the water issues. For the longest time The City of West Memphis has been considered on its own. I’ve spoken to Governor Hutchinson about our water issues and the resolution would allow our state representatives to talk about it to the legislature.”

Utility Assistant Manager Ward Wimbish had served as the city engineer when the pumps station was built 30 years ago. He underscored the necessity of pumping storm water into the river to protect both property and life.

“You all may remember in 1986 a man drowning on OK Street near Walker who drove off the flooded road,” said Wimbish. “This current generation is fortunate to not have awaken and having their Christmas presents floating across the floor. It’s because we’ve had these pumps. We have to finish this before the rain season of 2023. So, we are looking for all support for this.”

The city employed huge portable pump generators as a stop gap measure to weather the Easter weekend storm water dispersal. The rainwater amounted to 2.5 inches in a short period of time.

“We had an ace in our sleeve. and trucked in a generator from Oklahoma and they were ready,” said Pedersen. “That’s a Band-Aid, but an important one. We are renting that transformer and generator for $30,000 per month. Sound expensive? Not as expensive as the cost if we get houses flooded out.”

Inflation impacted the repair budget.

“The dollars are banging me over the head,” said Pedersen. “I try to be as frugal as can be with taxpayer money but the cost of doing business right now is high. It’s just too important we need this infrastructure.”

The utility department was designated to build and maintain the stormwater pump station while the street department operates the pumps throughout the city.