by Nathan Boddy
In a relatively quick Hamilton City Council meeting on Tuesday, September 17th, council members were able to express their gratitude for a downtown beautification project, and hear the valid concerns of one resident.
Owners of Hamilton’s Chapter One Bookstore, Mara Lynn Luther, Katrina Mendrey and Marisa Neyenhuis, were on hand as the city council presented them with a beautification award. The popular downtown bookstore is now easily recognizable due to the large mural that runs the western length of the building along North 3rd Street. The mural, designed and installed by muralist Britt Flood of North Carolina, depicts western Montana landscape together with a passion for books and reading. The mural was installed last summer, and its vibrant colors and compelling imagery will certainly carry warmth of summer into the cold months ahead.
Mayor Dominic Farrenkopf read aloud from a letter to the bookstore owners, thanking them for their “amazing gift of community art.” The letter continued to add that the mural, “adds meaning to our surroundings and is a confirmation of why we live here. You have made Hamilton more special.”
During the public comment portion of the meeting, city resident Amy Monteith took to the podium to implore the council members to encourage city residents to proactively seek supplemental insurance for the water supply lines that service their homes. Monteith explained that her home, built in 1910, had begun to see increased domestic water usage creep up over the last two years, eventually more than tripling her regular water usage charge. Although Monteith says that no evidence of the ongoing leakage is evident at the surface of her property, the gauge has shown that her supply pipe is leaking at a rate of approximately 2 gallons per minute. The estimated cost for excavation and replacement of the leaking galvanized pipe will be approximately $10,000.
The City of Hamilton takes responsibility for public lines up to individual meters, but the service lines that run from the meter to the home are the responsibility of homeowners. Unfortunately, many old pipes exist within Hamilton, including both private and public lines, and total leakage from the system is estimated to be as high as 40%. In the case of an older galvanized pipe like that which services Monteith’s home, the problem may not manifest with dramatic surface subsidence or even water in the home due to the fact that the pipe itself may have hundreds of pinhole leaks, meaning wasted water and high utility bills.
Monteith told the Bitterroot Star that she is looking for ways to offset what will be an obvious financial burden to make the repairs, but also wanted to save others the same fate. Monteith has been in contact with the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) and is hopeful that a grant may be available to help offset some of the cost, but also pointed out a recent partnership between the City of Hamilton and Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA) to provide supplemental insurance for service lines. Monteith said that she wished she’d purchased a policy for herself.
“It just broke my heart that (the city) had just got this insurance,” she said, adding that she would love to see a public meeting arranged to educate residents as to their obligations for their own service lines and the options they have to insure them.
SLWA did send direct mailers to Hamilton residents, and the City provided information on utility bills on their Facebook site. In an August 9th posting, the city writes, “The City of Hamilton has partnered with Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA) to educate residents about their service line responsibilities and offer protection to residents for the water and sewer service lines that connect their homes to the utility systems. The coverage is voluntary and available at affordable monthly prices.”
Mayor Farrenkopf spent some time speaking with Monteith following the meeting, letter her know that he is aware of her situation, and that he and Public Works Director, Donny Ramer, are, “going to enter into a conversations about situations like yours and other people that have a similar situation and look and see if there is something the city can do.”
With pipes as old as many remaining beneath Hamilton, Farrenkopf pointed out that the situation like that of Monteith is, “not going to be an isolated case.”
For more information on Service Line Warranties of America, visit: slwofa.com.