Plains Town Council says goodbye to Mayor Rowan

Dan Rowan called the Plains Town Council Meeting to order for the last time Monday evening, as his term as mayor comes to an end. Next month, Rowan will be sworn in as one of two new county commissioners for Sanders County.

Rowan will resign his position as mayor of Plains sometime in December. The duties of mayor after his resignation will be under the leadership of Councilor Chris Allen. Applications for mayor will be reviewed during the January 2023 Council meeting. The individual chosen will fill the balance of Rowan’s term.

Rowan served a total of 10 years with the town of Plains. He first served five years on the council and the remainder as mayor, first starting in 2012.

“I believe the greatest accomplishment during my tenure was the relocation of the Wastewater Treatment Facility,” Rowan said. “I'm also very proud of all the road improvements we were able to complete. From balanced budgets and reserve funds to road, drainage, building and equipment improvements, I believe we made progress on all fronts during my time as mayor. None of these things would have been possible without a dedicated team of individuals that care about this community, working together to make Plains a better place to live. My thanks to the Town Council, employees of the Town of Plains, the engineering and legal staff, and all the volunteers that helped with many different projects.”

At last week’s council meeting, the minutes for the regular and special meetings in November were accepted followed by Rowan reading the judge’s report. Forty-four new cases were heard, with 77 pending. The court has 76 active warrants.

Rowan’s report started off discussing the removal of the old sewer pond sludge. The project has been postponed with the onset of winter weather and will take about two weeks to complete when warmer weather arrives in the spring.

Copies of the Plains growth policy will be sent to the planning board for review.

Council members were also informed that the water compact objection deadline was extended to February 2023. Rowan discussed the water compact in length. Conversations with state officials, former town attorney and current town attorney Loren Fitzpatrick have raised questions about how the compact affects municipalities. Rowan said he is getting conflicting opinions that the town may not be subjected to the water compact.

Another concern, if the town files an objection, would be the reason for the objection. The town must show that it would be adversely affected by the implementation of the water compact. Fitzpatrick will file an objection if the council votes to proceed with the filing, however he said that he doesn’t see a reason for an objection. Council members will review the water compact for future consideration.

Replacement of 700 feet of water main lines behind the Dew Duck Inn have been completed.

One of the two furnaces failed at the public library. Parts to repair the furnace could not be found because of its age. Heating contractor Chris Mull gave a bid to replace both furnaces with one that would be more efficient that included A/C. Installation could be completed before Christmas. Cost of the new furnace would be around $12,500.

The Plains water system is still experiencing a significant percentage of water loss with their system. November saw a 30% loss because of leaky water lines. Rowan said the loss needs to be addressed in the spring.

A resolution was passed by the council for the issuance of a $900,000 wastewater system bond with a 20-year term at 2.5% interest rate. The bond covers the cost of sludge removal from the old lagoons and additional electric monitoring equipment for the new lagoons and any additional expenses for the completion of the new lagoons.

Rowan said that the finances of the town were in good shape and that he didn’t expect any increases in sewer fees.

The old lagoon property is now considered surplus property and will be offered for sale. Council member Chris Allen proposed to set a minimum value of $191,000 for the 27.35-acre lot. The property has 2,300 feet of riverfront currently within the flood plan.

Contractor issues delayed the sidewalk repairs this past fall and will need to be rescheduled for next year.