City discusses quiet zone, water project updates
Cameron City Council is still working to bring a quiet zone to the city.
On Monday, council authorized Mayor Bill Harris to seek and apply for any available grants that would help the city acquire a railroad quiet zone. The city is trying to obtain grants to help cover the costs of creating such a zone and will not move forward without being able to get a grant.
Council also heard an update from Jake Blair with KPA Engineers about Texas Water Development Board grant projects.
Blair told council that the wastewater project on Wallace and Hoover is ongoing. The sewer portion of that project is complete and in the ground. The only remaining items on that project are 12 manholes to be rehabilitated. They will begin surface repair soon.
He also updated on the construction along Houston at Second and First Streets in downtown.
“The whole problem with Houston Street this entire time is that we could not isolate the lines at the intersections,” Blair said. “As of this last go round we were able to isolate the Houston and First Street intersection. We are still having issues due to the depth of the line at Second Street.”
Blair said that they could not replace the valve at Houston and Second because of the shallow depth of the valve.
“During construction for the water distribution we tried to remedy that with a line stop that allows you to cut the water off for a short period of time and then do your repairs and then remove that line stop,” he said. “Unfortunately because of how the existing infastructure is laid out we weren’t able to get a good kill.”
Blair said they are working with the city to dig up and determine if there is enough depth on Second and Travis to install and new valve there.
He said that line is hot and there is a lot of water pressure in that line and it would be dangerous to try to cut that line off.
“The way to go about this is to cut off water at the towers and then install those two valves and then isolate that section and turn the water back on,” he said. “That would be two to three hours. That is being determined right now.”
He said once that project is done they will be able to tie in at First and Houston and Second and Houston and abandon the old lines for the new ones.
He said they will turn the water off at night to do the project when the time comes. The city will let everyone know when that will be happening.
“For this to be effective and to work we have to kill the water towers for a period of time,” Mayor Bill Harris said. “They tried it the other way the last time, but it didn’t work. There is no way to kill that pressure unless you turn the valves off.”
It is not known at this time when the water will need to be shut off.
In other business council also: ordered the general election for May 7 and agreed to all contracts for that election; approved a request from Ginger Watkins to hold a Spring Festival on March 25 in conjunction with the Milam County Junior Livestock Show and the Second Annual Airshow on April 23 at the Cameron Municipal Airport.