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City acts to preserve commission's status

By GENE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
The Stevens Point Common Council wants the Board of Water and Sewage Commission to continue operating like it has have been for more than three-quarters of a century.

The commission has been operating as a quasi-independent group, coordinating efforts with other city departments through the years, but the state Legislature recently revised state statutes, saying the city either had to make the commission autonomous or part of the city governmental structure.

The relationship between the council and the commission has been good, and the council wants to continue that, working together to make improvements and address problems.

The commission has waited in the past for the council to approve the minutes of its meetings before initiating the approved action.

"We've always held off until the council approved any purchase or anything," said Greg Disher, water and sewage administrator.

The city first had water in the 1880s, but the water works was privately owned until 1922 when the council set up a referendum to purchase the utility and voters overwhelmingly approved the purchase, 1,435 to 158.

At that time, the city was getting its water supply from the Wisconsin River, with a water works plant in Bukolt Park. The water wasn't the best and stories circulated about all kinds of living matter piped with the water into local homes.

Thus, the city decided to develop a new water supply in the Plover River basin, putting its first plant at Iverson Park into operation in 1923. That supply gave Stevens Point its reputation as the "City of Wonderful Water."

Of course, one of the reasons the quality of Wisconsin River water was dubious was due to the sanitation practices of that time. In 1940, the city finally put a sewage disposal plant into operation. Prior to that, raw sewage was simply piped into the river to be washed downstream.

With the revision, which the Board of Public Works endorsed in ordinance form Monday, the administrator will become director of the Water and Sewage Department, subject to reappointment every two years.

City Attorney Louis J. Molepske said the revision should mean little difference with the current practice. "The commission's action would be advisory until affirmed and ratified by the council," he said.

The five members of the commission will continue to be appointed to alternating five-year terms, so one new commissioner will be appointed each year.

The revision, Molepske said, "formalizes what we have always done. This cleans it up and affirms the council is in charge."

Mayor Gary Wescott said retaining the system will enable the commission and the director to continue working with other city departments on projects.

That eliminates problems such as having one department tear up a street for a project and then another department undertaking a project on the same street a year or two later.



	City acts to preserve commission's status By GENE KEMMETER of The Gazette The Stevens Point Common Council wants the Board of Water and Sewage Commission to continue operating like it has have been for more than three-quarters of a century. The commission has been operating as a quasi-independent group, coordinating efforts with other city departments through the years, but the state Legislature recently revised state statutes, saying the city either had to make the commission autonomous or part of the city governmental structure. The relationship between the council and the commission has been good, and the council wants to continue that, working together to make improvements and address problems. The commission has waited in the past for the council to approve the minutes of its meetings before initiating the approved action. "We've always held off until the council approved any purchase or anything," said Greg Disher, water and sewage administrator. The city first had water in the 1880s, but the water works was privately owned until 1922 when the council set up a referendum to purchase the utility and voters overwhelmingly approved the purchase, 1,435 to 158. At that time, the city was getting its water supply from the Wisconsin River, with a water works plant in Bukolt Park. The water wasn't the best and stories circulated about all kinds of living matter piped with the water into local homes. Thus, the city decided to develop a new water supply in the Plover River basin, putting its first plant at Iverson Park into operation in 1923. That supply gave Stevens Point its reputation as the "City of Wonderful Water." Of course, one of the reasons the quality of Wisconsin River water was dubious was due to the sanitation practices of that time. In 1940, the city finally put a sewage disposal plant into operation. Prior to that, raw sewage was simply piped into the river to be washed downstream. With the revision, which the Board of Public Works endorsed in ordinance form Monday, the administrator will become director of the Water and Sewage Department, subject to reappointment every two years. City Attorney Louis J. Molepske said the revision should mean little difference with the current practice. "The commission's action would be advisory until affirmed and ratified by the council," he said. The five members of the commission will continue to be appointed to alternating five-year terms, so one new commissioner will be appointed each year. The revision, Molepske said, "formalizes what we have always done. This cleans it up and affirms the council is in charge." Mayor Gary Wescott said retaining the system will enable the commission and the director to continue working with other city departments on projects. That eliminates problems such as having one department tear up a street for a project and then another department undertaking a project on the same street a year or two later.