The village of Beiseker’s fire hydrants have not been serviced in five years, according to the fire chief.
The information came to light at the Nov. 12 Village council meeting.
Mayor Ray Courtman and the rest of council met with Fire Chief Bob Ursu to discuss the maintenance of the hydrants.
“I thought it was being done,” Courtman said. “The fire department used to perform maintenance and I thought they still were.”
The hydrants have not been checked by either the Village’s Public Works department or the fire department in five years, according to Ursu.
A miscommunication between the two departments resulted in the oversight.
Council debated whether the fire department should be in charge of performing maintenance or if the responsibility should fall on the Public Works department.
Councillors decided the fire department, due to the level of experience its members have with hydrant maintenance, would resume the responsibility of checking the hydrants from now on.
Fire hydrant maintenance involves checking the pipes for rust and letting the water run, it also works as a training program for firefighters.
New Radios
Ursu asked council to purchase two new radios and four new batteries for the Beiseker Fire Department at a total cost of $2,300.
Council approved the purchase as funds were available in the 2013 budget.
Snow Removal
Council discussed the state of the village’s snow covered sidewalks and roads, as a concerned resident spoke on behalf of seniors in the community.
The Village has one bobcat that plows the streets and is operated under the Public Works department. Clearing of sidewalks is the responsibility of homeowners, council said.
“Snow removal is very expensive,” Courtman said. “We may have to look into how Public Works removes ice and snow from streets and sidewalks, especially at intersections.”
When asked how much the service costs the Village, neither council nor administration could name a figure off hand.
Council voted to maintain the status quo and the Village will continue to plow only streets and not sidewalks.
