Bronaugh approves contract change

Nevada Daily Mail

The Bronaugh Board of Aldermen decided during its meeting Monday to hire someone for $50 to read the city's approximately 100 water meters.

"In the next water bill we will put out a notice that we are looking for a water meter reader," mayor Sherry Brown said. "They wouldn't have to live in the city, as long as we don't get any takers who live in the city."

In other business, the aldermen voted 4-0 to approve an amended contract with Bartlett and West, the engineering firm the city hired for its water system improvement project.

Originally, the aldermen accepted a payment limit of $20,000 should the city not receive state funding for the project. "Bartlett and West want the cap to be $23,000," Brown said. "Do you want to stick with the $20,000 or agree to change this cap? It would be like drawing a line in the sand. Are we going to risk having to start all over again?"

The aldermen agreed to approve the contract with the amended payment cap clause at $23,000.

City treasurer Ann Laudermilk told the aldermen there were no extra bills for the city to pay.

"This is a historic day in the city of Bronaugh," she joked.

The general fund gained $1,075.61; the water fund gained $903.63; the sewer fund gained $350.72."

"We had a 1.83 percent water loss this month," Laudermilk said.

Laudermilk asked the board to adjust the government fund based on her findings in the city's quarterly reports.

She requested the salaries and benefits fund to be increased from $4,000 to $4,100; the operation fund to be increased from $2,500 to $2,800, and the miscellaneous fund to be increased from $3,000 to $3,200.

"For the most part, I think we're going to make the income we thought we were and the expenses haven't been adjusted a great deal," she said of the overall budget.

The aldermen voted 4-0 to adjust the government fund. The aldermen also approved moving $200 that had been the former water operator's salary back into city maintenance worker Gary Laudermilk's salary.

Laudermilk told the aldermen about an upcoming EPA required test on the water in the lagoon.

"There's only one lab in the US that does it," he said. "The lab will pick up the sample to determine if water fleas and fat head minnows can survive in different ratios of that water. Two years ago the test was $780, so I figure it on probably being as high as $1,000. This is mandatory, no exemptions. If you fail the first test, you have to turn around in a certain amount of time and do it again."

He also told the board he will discuss with Mike Billions from Mindenmines about working as his back up water and sewer operator should he take extensive leave.

"I imagine it will cost around $150 a week," he said.

The next Bronaugh Board of Aldermen meeting will be 7 p.m. Nov. 4.