City Council discusses use of city equipment at Optimist Park

The City Council met on July 8th for their regular scheduled meeting.

Once a quorum was established, Mayor Rich Sykes recognized persons in the audience who wished to speak. John Kiefer, Chairman of Elmore County Soil and Water Conservation District, addressed the Council regarding the water delivery system from Little Camas to Mountain Home. Kiefer said that approximately a year ago they lost a tunnel that had caved in, the tunnel was eventually cleared enough to finish out the end of last year and the beginning of this year, but something still needs to be done. He has tried looking for grant money, but has had difficulty finding it. The engineering has already been done at the cost of $55,000. The estimated cost is $775,000 for a 550’ long pipe, 50” in diameter and it has to be pulled through the mountain. Kiefer will be meeting with DEQ later on this month and they could possibly cover 60% of the $775,000 which means the remaining balance would be $310,000. Kiefer is asking for $155,000 from the city and another $310,000 from the county, but only if DEQ pays 60%, which would be 20% from the city and 20% from the county and 60% DEQ. They would not need the money until August or September of next year. The City Council thanked Mr. Kiefer for his time and for bringing them the information.For the full story, pick up a copy of the Mountain Home News or click on this link to subscribe to the newspaper's online edition.