By Tim Douglass

tdouglass@pctribune.com

Glenwood’s City Engineer Blaine Green updated the city commission last week on the Lead Service Line Program for Glenwood.

He told commissioners the city’s water utility workers have been knocking on doors and doing an inventory of the city’s water lines.  The program is required under federal law enacted to “eliminate all lead in drinking water throughout the country.” The Minnesota Department of Health is administering the program in Minnesota and the first step was to mandate all cities to “inventory” all water lines, according to Green.  

After city water systems complete their inventories, they will notify residents if they have a lead service line, and about the next steps the system will take to replace those lines. Residents do not need to take any action regarding lead service lines, it was stated.  The State of Minnesota has set a goal to replace all lead service lines by 2033.

Green told commissioners that there were no city lead service mains in Glenwood, but cities are required to see if some residential lines have lead lines from the main to the home.  He said that about 20 to 25 lines were not compliant, but that doesn’t necessary mean they are lead lines, because they could be galvanized lines or lines of “unknown” material.  

“It can sound scary for residents, but it does take a lot of water and many years of consumption to actually cause a concern,” said City Administrator Dave Iverson. He reiterated that the inventory was checking from the city’s water main to the hone.  “We have no lead mains within the city,” he added.

The next step in the process will be to send letters to residents and then a provide a plan to replace some lines and correctly identify the material used for water lines within the city.

A benefit of doing the inventory is that the engineer is adding water lines to the city’s GIS system, which means less reliance on old maps.  

In other action, the city acknowledged and accepted the year-end lodging tax report by the Glenwood Lakes Area Welcome Center. Kay Blauert, executive director of the Glenwood Lakes Area Welcome Center, provided the report to the commission.  “Thank you for the well-detailed report,” said commissioner Todd Gylsen.  He also thanked her and the Welcome Center for “all the work you do.”

In other business, the commission:

•Approved a pay request for $252.65 from Short Elliot Hendrickson, Inc. for the 2024 Glenwood Stormwater Utility Evaluation.

•Approved payment of Invoices totaling $15,057.81 from Digital Horizons for the installation of multimedia equipment in the city’s commission room as well as a surveillance system.

•Approved a Court Data Services subscriber Amendment to an agreement between the Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the City of Glenwood.

•Approved a resolution approving state of Minnesota Joint Powers Agreements with the city on behalf of its city attorney and police department.

•Acknowledged receipt of the “unfinished business” report from city administration.

•Approved the permit from the Glenwood Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Welcome Center to conduct the Magical Christmas in Glenwood celebration.  The dates of the event are December 5, 12 and 19 with event hours from 3 to 8 p.m.  On December f5, the annual lighted parade will take place in Glenwood.

•Scheduled the 2024 General Canvassing meeting to review and approve election results for 6 p.m. on Nov. 12 at the city offices.

•Heard that the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train is scheduled to be in Glenwood on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 10:15 to 10:45 a.m.