By Meladi Brewer

DailyAdvocate.com

VERSAILLES — The Versailles Village Council met Wednesday to discuss Wellfield development.

Mike Busse, Village Administrator, talked about the authorization of the Fiscal Officer, Kathy Ording, to advertise for bids for the Reed Road Wellfield Transmission Line Phase 1 project.

“We have submitted all of bid documentation for review, and we hope to have approval from them by the end of the week,” Busse said.

Phase 1 is the in-town portion of the project, as the county has to bid and take care of the out-of-town portion though CDBG grants. Busse said the exact bid date will be determined as soon as they receive approval for the bid documents.

Busse also advised council that letters were sent out on Monday to property owners within 1.25 miles of the wellfield advising them of the village’s intent to have Eagon and Associates complete a survey of area wells.

“This survey will be paid for by the Village of Versailles and completed on a voluntary basis with the approval of the property owner,” Busse said.

He said the data collected prior to startup of the new wellfield will serve as a baseline for evaluation of any concerns well owners may have during the wellfield operation. The survey that Eagon will perform will examine each well, measure and document the well depth, pump depth, as well as static and pumping water levels.

“In addition, water-quality samples will be collected to document baseline water quality conditions,” Busse said.

He said they will be sharing all data collected with the property owners. Busse said that through the process, they may run into issues they may have to address.

“I can tell you that within this 1.25 mile radius, there’s probably some wells that aren’t very good today, and if they aren’t very good today, they won’t get better by the time we start pumping,” Busse said.

Busse said they are trying to draw a baseline before they start because they cannot go back and collect data once they start. He said they will be happy to share the findings and answer questions, as “none of this is a secret.”

“This will not only benefit the village, but it will benefit the property owner,” Mayor Jeff Subler said. “If we don’t have prior information on a well and something happens, it puts into question the who, what, where, when, and why.”

The village stressed this is all voluntary, not a secret, and they want to do things right.

The next Versailles Council meeting will take place Wednesday, Aug. 9, 7 p.m., in EMS Building, 320 Baker Road, Versailles.

To contact Daily Advocate Reporter Meladi Brewer, email [email protected].