The City of Indianola hit the gas on Monday night in seeking to repair a malfunctioning pump located in the vicinity of Gillespie Street.
An emergency declaration followed a visit to the board from Gillespie resident Rosie Stewart, who told the board that her property had been flooded with water and raw sewage for over a year because of the pump, something she said is causing damage to her foundation and making her home smell of sewage.
“I shouldn’t have to live like this,” Stewart told the board, also handing out photos of the sewage water in her home.
Public Works Director Elvis Pernell said the pump had been messing up for a while.
“When the water goes low, you have to manually start it back,” he said.
Stewart told The Enterprise-Tocsin on Tuesday that the flooding happens rain or shine and that it is worse in the mornings before the pump is activated.
Often, she said, her grandkids have to wrap their feet with garbage bags in order to wade through the sewage water and not track it to school.
Sandbags line the front, sides and back of her home, as she has futilely attempted to keep her home from being damaged.
Stewart said she has contacted multiple people over the last year, including Ward 1 Alderman Gary Fratesi, Mayor Ken Featherstone and Pernell.
“The house is sinking,” she said, later adding, “It’s very embarrassing. It’s not only affecting my physical but mental (health). I can’t function…I’ve been unable to use the bathroom at times, with water coming in and out. It’s totally embarrassing.”
City Engineer Ron Cassada said during the meeting that it sounded like a control panel may have gone out in the pump, based on the symptoms.
He then added that particular pump is on the list to be rehabbed using American Rescue Plan Act money.
The board was just about unanimous in the belief that the fix should come sooner rather than later.
Ward 4 Alderman Marvin Elder made a motion to declare a state of emergency so that Cassada could get a contractor to quote the job immediately.
“This city has money,” Elder said. “There’s no way in the world we should be looking at these pictures.”
Ward 5 Alderman Sam Brock said that it could be a major health issue.
Fratesi eventually seconded the motion on the emergency, which passed unanimously (Ward 2 Alderman Darrell Simpson was not present).
The city will apparently pay cash for the repair and reallocate the ARPA funds that had been budgeted for that project for another fix in the city.
