Plains mayor working on town's infrastructure

PLAINS - As of right now, Mayor Greg Eitelberg has on his agenda two types of matters that he is attending to, present projects and hope-for projects for 2016. On June 6th, Mayor Eitelberg will be proposing his budget to the town council to be passed.

One project Mayor Eitelberg is proposing and hoping to be passed for 2016 is  the replacement of a heavily used street in town.

“We’re looking at doing some street replacement, Ryan Street has been torn up for two years,” he said.

Mayor Eitelberg then said he will be proposing in the budget, and “really hopes,” that a project to repave from the tracks all the way down to the town’s lift station is passed.

Presently, Mayor Eitelberg said starting Tuesday the 23rd, Plains residents will witness the old railroad track near the Granary being removed.

Not providing an exact date, but mentioning that it will begin very shortly, Mayor Eitelberg said, “We are starting our galvanized (pipe) replacement program this year. I anticipate getting 60 lines. I’ve got a contractor on board to do the repaving.” He said the project will cost approximately $50,000.

Over the next three to four years, Mayor Eitelberg also mentioned that he is proposing a new police vehicle to be put in the budget. He said that one of the cars is having trouble and the town is having to put a lot of money into repairs.

Citing that he wants to focus on rebuilding the town’s infrastructure, he said that one problem stands in his way.

“One of our largest portions of our general budget goes to the swimming pool,” Mayor Eitelberg said. He explained that it takes approximately $40,000 a year for upkeep of the pool and that the admission prices and membership does not cover it all, and taxpayer money must subsidize it.

In a simple explanation, Mayor Eitelberg said that since the pool was put in, there has been approximately $1,000,000 put into it. He said if the pool did not exist, then that $1,000,000 would have been put into the upkeep of the roads.

On a slightly different note, Chief Shawn Emmett and Mayor Eitelberg are working together to create a new project in the town of Plains.

“We have a truck we are putting together that will say, “Plains Animal Control”, and it will be set up with stickers on the side... It will have a cage in the back where if we do pick up any animals they will be transported out to the dog kennel in the lagoons area,” said Mayor Eitelberg.

Mayor Eitelberg said there will be a daily charge until the owner picks up the animal.

“This is not a money making operation, there are just a lot of complaints about barking dogs running loose at night and getting into people’s yards and garbage,” Mayor Eitelberg said.

The person who will be working the truck and business of catching any loose pets will be reserve officer Kevin Kerr.