City addresses roof issues, reports water quality improvement

Local entities ended the year addressing roof issues caused by heavy snowfall in December. The City of New Rockford held two discussions about the flat roofs at the Brown Memorial and the Eddy-New Rockford Library.

The Brown Memorial roof had been leaking, so public works staff investigated potential solutions. Before Christmas, city workers cleared heavy snow from the flat roof. In the process, employee Jason Munson was hit in the head with a chunk of ice that had fallen from the roof. He suffered a concussion and gash to the head, which required staples to repair. It took Munson more than a week to recover from the incident, but he was back to work before the new year.

At the city commission meeting on Jan. 2, Public Works Superintendent Bruce Hirchert reported that the gutters on the Brown Memorial had frozen solid and needed to be completely cleaned out so they drain. Due to the lack of insulation in the ceiling, ice jams are also an issue. A & R Roofing of Devils Lake suggested that the city install heat tape to solve the problem.

Workers also attended to the library this past week and removed 30 inches of snow from its flat roof. A structural engineer from Interstate Engineering was on site Tuesday to assess the building's condition after the roof on the theatre next door collapsed. The library was cleared to open Tuesday.

New standard operating procedures have been implemented at the water plant to reduce hardness, and they seem to be working well, according to Hirchert. They are close to obtaining the consistent water quality they want to see. The drawback is that the reverse osmosis filters get dirtier a little quicker. However, Hirchert said he has heard positive reports, particularly that ice machines and other equipment are working better now.

Liquid Engineering is coming to clear out the clear well soon, which should result in even better water quality.

President Stu Richter reported that he had met with the State Aeronautics Commission regarding grant funds previously earmarked for the airport that must be used or will be reallocated to other communities.

"Yes, we are proceeding," Richter said. For now, the focus is on repairing the runway, not building a hangar. The engineering estimate is $83,000, per Richter, and the earliest the work can be completed is in 2024.

The next city commission meeting is set for Monday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m.