LONGTON'S WOES

[CCarl]

Fixin' What's Wrong Post Three; What The Election Won't Change

7) Here we are, mid-October 2025, with talk of a new sewer fee rising from $26.00 a month to $50.00, or potentially $100.00 a month, to help pay for a high-priced, inflation-driven $5,000,000 sewer repair that will develop problems within half a dozen years after it is completed. Just like the million dollar chip seal on half our roads a few years back. You know, the chip seal that started deteriorating in its third year.
Yes, we have an opportunity to save half that five million dollars, maybe more, and still meet State standards for effluent collection and treatment. Shouldn't we find the least cost alternative that meets State standards, instead of accepting the spoon-fed option the State and Industry want us to eat?
Hopefully the planning phase will acknowledge that three lift stations can economically be eliminated with the users of those lift stations converted to septic tanks and drain fields. That can save $450,000+. Hopefully planning will also identify the 1150 feet of sewer on 5th, west of Douglas, that should be abandoned, and have three properties convert to septic and drain fields. That can save $150,000+. And there may be three or four other ares where similar actions can be taken. Planning phase must be encouraged to complete an Alternatives Analyses. Just those options I mentioned would save $600,000+ of the projected $5,000,000 project.
But the biggest savings would be to abandon the sewer system entirely, and install septic tanks and drain fields for all 155 current users. Septic tanks and drain fields would run about $7500 for a family of four. Septic tanks and mounded drain fields for soils that will not 'perc' would run about $14,000 each. Given the extent of clayey soils with poor drainage we will need mounded drain fields in many areas. As a worst case, assume we require a mound system for everyone in town; that would cost $2.17 million. That is significantly less than half the project the State wants to feed us. It is a lowest cost, practical alternative. AND, IF 1/5 of our residents (for example) do not need a mounded drain field the cost falls to ((155*.2)*7500)+((155*.*14000) = $1.97 million as the least case alternative. (ASK CASCITY why a smiley face with shades replaces a point eight!!) Isn't that a significant enough savings to fight for?
The debt pay-off reality is that our socialist government will write off 75% of the costs to us, and charge that 75% amount to other taxpayers. That seems like a big freebie to locals with their hands out to do as little as possible, falsely believing things are free.

That 75% cost diversion would mean a $1.25 million liability for our residents for the full blown repair project. BUT, it would mean only a $500,000+/- liability for the lowest cost alternative of septic tanks and drain fields. Which would you prefer as a basis for monthly sewage payments; a $500,000 debt, or a $1.25 million debt?
Oh, remember at $1.25 million, the repaired and lined sewer system will still require an additional monthly charge for continued maintenance of it. The conversion to septic tanks and drain fields will not have a monthly maintenance charge because there will not be a need for city maintenance of them, they become landowner responsibility.
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[CCarl]

Wolves in Sheep's Clothing
A Test for the New City Council & Mayor

January 7, 2026

A friend pointed out correctly that the State and Local governments would never foist a huge debt on the people of Wichita to completely replace its aged sewer system. No one, especially the wealthy and big businesses want a huge pay increase in sewer costs to affect their livelihoods. It will never happen. In Wichita what is repaired is only what is broken.

But, to a handful of poor folks in Elk County, the State and its professionally certified, licensed, and bonded Agents are proposing just that. They sell the scam by promising to spread 75% of the costs to taxpayers living outside Longton. But the State and its Professional Agents will get what they want, a share of close to $5,000,000.00, if not more before all the design and construction over-runs are tallied, not to mention the impact of runaway inflation. And the harm done to taxpayers is simply spread over a larger population.

If the new mayor and new city council alignment has any sympathy for taxpayers they will drop the permit process in favor of DON'T FIX IT IF IT AIN'T BROKE.

In spite of the fact that dropping the permit process is an easy step forward, I have my doubts to the sincerity of the council and mayor to truly represent the interests and needs of the residents and taxpayers of Longton.

Here are the steps to Don't Fix It If It Ain't Broke;

1) Withdraw permit applications and funding requests.
2) Conduct the FREE Smoke Test in 2026 when the groundwater is lowest, and the soil moisture content is minimal. That will probably be August or September, unless we have an spring drought of several months.
3) Compile the results of the Smoke Test with the City's 26-year records of maintenance and repair of the sewer line. Put the compiled results in a database and on a City map, correlated to the nearest manholes. I think any number of locals should be more than capable of doing that. In other words, professionally certified, licensed, and bonded Agents for the State are NOT needed.
4) Now, look where the smoke leaks, and where the City always needs to make repairs. Label those areas by priority, and schedule a program to systematically repair them. That should be a no-brainer to anyone who cares that taxpayer money be effectively used by government. Our elected government 'officials' probably do not. Prove me wrong!
5) Beyond the frequency of repair and smoke leaking areas, add to the City assessment an examination of the drainage ditches in our road rights-of-way. After-all, much of the current sewer problem is surface water flooding manholes, and getting into sewer lines.

The first action to stop the flooding is to increase the conveyance and/or storage capacity of the ditches where the smoke leaks and where the manholes flood in any intensity of rain. Conveyance is improved first by cleaning out all culverts on a routine schedule. Then conveyance and storage capacity are improved by excavation of existing ditches. That can be done using local labor, and the  money paid out locally helps the communities in our County. If necessary divert open ditch drainage into large buried pipes to entirely prevent flooding in the worst areas, like the sub-basin containing the Pump Station in the southwest part of town.

6) Where smoke tests show failed pipe, the City excavates and replaces only the failed pipe, not entire city blocks of it, just what has failed. No permit required, just local labor.

Six easy steps to manage on an annual basis, with just a slight bit of planning on the City's part. Wise? Yes. Doable? Yes. Are the City Council and new Mayor capable? The jury is out.

The city collects something like [$26 x 150 x 12] $46,800.00 a year from residents to manage the sewer system [and it's going up, will it double, triple?]. If that is not enough to support annual repair plans outlined above for long-term sewer system performance, then the City should seek a low interest as-needed loan from a local bank, one that also makes loans to private parties in the city. That creates a win-win financial perspective, keeps money locally, and does not feed the pockets of the State and its Professional Agents. They are the wolves in sheep's clothing.

There is only one reasonable State-approved sewer project that represents any fairness to the taxpayers. That is to convert 100 percent of sewer users to septic tanks and drain fields. That can be done for 20% of the costs proposed by the latest consulting firm to improve 5.7 miles of sewer lines. That also ends residents' monthly sewer fees and makes residents personally responsible for septic tank up-keep. BUT, it would require the use of the same wolves in sheep's clothing for all the construction activities, and NO money spent would stay locally.

I'll take the responsibility of the City to develop and implement annual sewer maintenance and improvement plans. How about you? But, can anybody convince the egos of the public office wolves to cooperate with the residents they serve?

You will have a chance to question and challenge on January 14th.

[CCarl]

What Happens to Rural Counties When The Cities Collapse

They are collapsing. See MetalLeo videos of the Left Coast on Youtube. See similar videos about NYC, Chicago, Las Vegas, even St. Louis. Look at the daily crime headlines in Wichita. The collapse has started, and it is trickling Elk County's way. The video refers to those who are bailing out of the cities as the Golden Horde. Historically, that is probably a reference to the late days of the Mongol Empire. Not sure I see the similarities.



The video asserts when the Horde finds rural settings, they expect rural people to give freely what the Horde needs. And when giving does not happen, whatever rural Elk County residents do have will simply be stolen by the Horde.

They won't be here to ask, they will be here to take. That's what we can expect as the collapse continues. The video suggests several solutions.