HomeMy WebLinkAbout5/24/1974FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1974
THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER
COUNTY, FLORIDA MET IN SPECIAL SESSION AT THE COURTHOUSE,
VERO BEACH, FLORIDA ON FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1974 AT 1:00 O'CLOCK
P.M. PRESENT WERE ALMA LEE Loy, CHAIRMAN; EDWARD J. MASSEY,
VICE CHAIRMAN; .JACK U. DRITENBAS; WILLARD W. SIEBERT, JR.,
RICHARD P. BOGOSIAN, ALSO PRESENT WERE .JACK G. .JENNINGS,
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR; L. S. THOMAS, COUNTY COORDINATOR; `
ELIZABETH FORLANI, DEPUTY CLERK. ABSENT WAS PAUL D. BURCH,
ATTORNEY TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS,
THE CHAIRMAN CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AND STATED
THAT THIS MEETING HAS BEEN CALLED BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS
INVOLVING URBAN DEVELOPMENT UTILITIES, INC., WHO ARE OPERATING
UNDER A COUNTY FRANCHISE TO SERVE THE GIFFORD AREA WITH WATER
SEWER FACILITIES.
THE FOLLOWI.NG WERE -PRESENT FOR.THIS.DISCUSSIONI'
VICTOR HART - URBAN DEVELOPMENT UTILITIES, INC,
WALLACE W. MCCORMACK - COUNTY SUPERVISOR, FARMERS HOME ADMINIS-
TRATION
ROBERT L. .JONES - DISTRICT DIRECTOR, -FARMERS HOME ADMINISTRATION
ROBERT JENNINGS - SANITATION - COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
GODFREY GIPSON- GIFFORD JAYCEES
DAN O. MATHEWS - INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD
TOM VALENTINE
HAROLD BROWN - FARMERS HOME ADMINISTRATION - LOW COST HOUSING
ROBERT "FLIP" LLOYD - CONSULTING ENGINEER FOR URBAN DEVELOPMENT
UTILITIES.
VENDA R. BURGESS - CUSTOMER OF U.D.U.
IT WAS STATED THAT SINCE THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
REPORTED THAT WATER SAMPLES SHOWED` -DANGEROUSLY HIGH BACTERIA
LEVELS, CUSTOMERS OF U.D.U. HAVE BEEN URGED TO BOIL THEIR
WATER.
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THIS CONTAMINATION OCCURRED BECAUSE THE UTILITY'S
SINGLE WELL WAS NOT PRODUCING ENOUGH.WATER TO KEEP THE
PRESSURE AT A LEVEL HIGH.ENOUGH TO ACTIVATE THE CHLORINATOR.
A.TEMPORARY ARTESIAN WELL HAS BEEN DRILLED AND
WILL BE CONNECTED TO THE SYSTEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WHICH
WILL BRING THE QUALITY OF THE WATER UP TO ACCEPTABLE
STANDARDS FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.
MR. MCCORMACK STATED THAT FARMERS HOME ADMINISTRATION
HAS APPROVED AN ADDITIONAL $80,000.00 LOAN TO URBAN DEVELOP-
MENT UTILITIES, INC., WHICH WILL BE USED TO DRILL A
SECOND WELL,
DISCUSSION FOLLOWED REGARDING AN AUDIT OF U.D.U..'S
1973 FINANCES, WHICH INDICATE THAT LAST YEAR U.D.U. LOST
$22,000.00 AND THAT FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS THERE HAS
BEEN A DEFICIT.
VICTOR HART, A MEMBER OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT UTILITIES,
BOARD OF DIRECTORS STATED THAT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT
THE COUNTY GET INVOLVED IN THESE PROBLEMS -AND POSSIBLY TAKE
OVER THIS SYSTEM.
COMMISSIONER SIEBERT STATED THAT LAST YEAR, THE
BOARD WAS INFORMED THAT A SECOND PERMANENT WELL WAS TO BE
INSTALLED, BUT THIS HAS NOT BEEN DONE,
MR. LLOYD STATED THAT THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN A. LACK OF
FUNDS, BUT THIS $80,000.00 LOAN FROM FARMERS HOME ADMINISTRATION
WILL GO TOWARD DRILLING A SECOND PERMANENT WELL WHICH WILL BE
LOCATED AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL IN GIFFORD AND COMPLETED WITHIN
45 - 60 DAYS.
MR, GIPSON STATED THAT THE GIFFORD .JAYCEES ARE VERY
CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEALTH OF THE PROPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO BUY BOTTLED WATER AND STILL HAVE TO PAY
U.D.U. FOR WATER THEY CANNOT USE. MR. GIPSON ALSO CLAIMED
THAT THE SEWER SYSTEM IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND SOMETHING
SHOULD BE DONE TO CORRECT IT.
MR. HART STATED THAT THE SEWER SYSTEM IS OVERLOADED
AND CANNOT WORK EFFICIENTLY. EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN ORDERED TO
IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF THIS SYSTEM, BUT IT HAS NOT ARRIVED YET.
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MAY 2 41974
AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION IT WAS STATED THAT IN APPROXI-
MATELY 10 DAYS U.D.U. CUSTOMERS WILL HAVE SATISFACTORY DRINKING
WATER AND WITHIN 45 - 6O DAYS THE SECOND PERMANENT WELL WILL
BE IN OPERATION.
COMMISSIONER SIEBERT REQUESTED A REPORT FROM
U.D.U. ON THE STATUS OF THE WATER SITUATION TO BE PRESENTED
AT THE NEXT COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING.
THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS ON MOTION MADE
SECONDED AND CARRIED, THE BOARD ADJOURNED AT 3:1O O'CLOCK P.M.
ATTEST:
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CLERK CHAIRMAN
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