Salem Public Works Director Annette Brushwitz feels the best use of the city’s $948,000 in federal COVID relief money is to replace a troublesome waterline on South Broadway.
Brushwitz made the decision after another break on the line over the weekend near the Casey’s General Store where there were already three clamps from prior breaks. She’s like to replace the line from near Schutt Sports to in front of the fire station or all the way to Main and Broadway depending on cost estimates.
Brushwitz says the project is large enough it likely could not be completed without outside funding. Even with the ARPA relief money, she’s estimating the city will have to put in another $300,000.
“It’s such an older section we don’t know what we are into until we have to dig it up. We find all sorts of things when we start digging. And that is one of the mystery’s on this what we are spending in overtime and repair clamps…when you hear $300,000 that sounds like a lot, we are spending more than that in repairs to get into these lines and continue to make one repair after another.”
Mayor Nic Farley has directed Brushwitz to make a formal request to the city council at the next meeting.
The city has already received half its ARPA relief funding, with the other half expected in August.
