Tecumseh holds public hearing on water pipeline from McLoud to Tecumseh

A public hearing on the upcoming water line project from Wes Watkins Reservoir to Tecumseh had at least two property owners addressing the Tecumseh city council Monday night with their concerns.

Work has been ongoing to secure easements and work out deals with property owners for construction of a 12-inch raw water line, which will bring water from the reservoir near McLoud to Tecumseh’s water treatment plant.

One property owner was concerned about damage to crops and payment for those damages. While it appeared from discussion that most property in the best-proposed path of the line sits in flood plain areas, there is one property that isn’t.

Jerry Davis owns that property and spoke to the council about his concerns of an area that he was planning to develop.

“I don’t want it to come over my property,” he said, asking if there could be another route.

Mayor Eddy Parker said they are trying to work with landowners but said the pipeline is a vital.

“I understand your concern, but the city of Tecumseh desperately, desperately needs water,” Parker said.

But Davis, who said he has been planning to plat an addition for houses on five acres, said, “This is going to devastate our plans,” adding the monetary amounts offered by the field agents obtaining easements are much less than what they should be.

The group discussed protocol if a deal on easements can’t be reached, with discussion indicating that if the landowner doesn’t believe they will receive a fair price, the city can file a condemnation suit, which will result in three appraisals of the property as the case goes through court.

In the area where the water line is to be built, the land can be still farmed and residents can plant trees, but there can be no permanent structure built over the water lines.

City Manager Jimmy Stokes said five of 19 easements for the water line project have been secured.

Following the public hearing, the council said farewell to longtime Ward 1 councilor Lou Sutterfield by holding a brief reception. Since Sutterfield didn’t file for re-election last year, and because no one else filed for the open seat seat, the council was tasked with appointing someone to the post.

Two were interested — Linda Jones and Linda Farris — who both attended Monday’s meeting.

Jones said she heard no one had applied for the seat and knew she wanted to do something useful in 2013. She said she could help the city with her background in running the local radio station, as she knows bookkeeping and payroll.

Farris, who said she grew up and graduated in Tecumseh, said she retired from Tinker Air Force Base after 30 years of service in April, so she feels her expertise and time might help her hometown.

Parker, who said they had no applicants and then all of the sudden had two candidates, said whoever was appointed would take office and be sworn in at the February meeting.

Councilor Bob Stewart said he felt both were qualified but he said he knew of Farris’ work the community and made a motion for her to be appointed.

There was a pause for a second, as Councilor Gene Crnkovic said he knew Jones and her contributions to the community. Parker seconded the motion for Farris and it was a unanimous vote.