LONGTON'S WOES

[CCarl]

Is It Time for Outhouses Again?
After-all, A Neighboring Village Celebrates Them Every Year

Longton's sewer system is roughly fifty years old. As some of you undoubtedly know, it is broken to the point of needing replacement or extensive repairs. I encourage everyone in town to read the coming posts, and have an opinion about what to do. Then let the City know what you want.

Our town's sewer system criss-crosses town to the tune of approximately 29,400 feet, or 5.5 miles. It has four pump stations to pump waste water against grade, while the majority of the eight-inch diameter tile pipe gravity feeds into settling/treatment ponds in the northeast corner of town.

With larger rainstorms, cracks and cave-in's allow ground water in the lines, mixing with waste water, and causing pipes to overflow, bringing human waste to the surface of some rights-of-way, and possibly challenging the capacity of the sewer ponds.

A regional engineering firm did a quick, pro bono, preliminary estimate of the cost to reline the system, and identified $4,000,000.00 worth of expenses. OUCH! The estimate did not speak to other options, such as replacing the existing sewer line with a new one, or with septic tanks and drain fields at each residence. Neither did it say that relining the existing sewer was the most cost efficient alternative.

Look for several additional posts several weeks from now, where design and construction options are discussed, along with their associated costs.

The City applied for a grant to hire an engineer to assist in the decision making. The State denied the grant without saying why. The comment was, "Try again next year". More than likely, we are small fish in a big pond to the State.

So, the big deal here is to have public involvement in the decision making. Four million is too much dough for our City Council to decide upon without extensive resident input, including the possibility of a special election to approve some version of a new system to treat household waste. To wit, our rather laggard council seems to want to approve bills and minutes, then go home. They approved a water bill last fall without officially questioning why it was not discounted when the water district failed in its obligation to provide us potable water for three weeks. The town residents need to be involved, and we deserve better representation from Council.

[CCarl]

The Challenge Before Longton Residents

Historians remark that Ron Reagan once said, "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children, and our children's children, what it was once like in the United States where men were free."

I will add to his thought in this way; today the fight is not with a foreign country, nor a foreign people, as the powers that be want you to [forever] believe. Today, our fight is against domestic tyranny. It is against U.S., State, County, and local governments that choose self-interest over serving the needs of the people.

That point will be proven by the forthcoming sewer system project that Longton is facing. The only obstacle for governments is us, is our public questioning, criticism, and demands we make on them. That is why I repeat from my first post the need for public involvement regarding what 'our' sewer system repair or upgrade should entail. Notice the word OUR. Remember that system belongs to the residents of the town, not to the State of Kansas, Incorporated. It should become what we want, it should be done how we want, and need, it done.

Here is a case in point, as the saying goes. There are construction activities of the sewer project that local labor is capable of doing, and that local equipment can do. There are even more construction activities of the alternative sewer project that I have in mind, that local equipment and labor can successfully do. Unfortunately, I can promise you that the use of local labor and equipment is very unlikely . . ah, give it less than a one half of one percent chance, even if we scream loudly, precisely, and persistently.

Why is that? The fine print legalese of the State-issued permit will require that ALL construction work [as well as design work] be completed by licensed and bonded contractors. Thank an Attorney for that! The professional engineering firm, who has been assisting City Hall, preliminarily estimated a $4,000,000.00 project as of September 2024. Since then [about 8 months] inflation has increased those costs by roughly 5%, thanks to the deficit-spending legislators and executives we vote for. Make that a $4,204,106.00 preliminary budget today . . and increasing monthly. By the time preliminary design, permit review, final design, permit review, a bid period, and the construction window have been completed that $4,000,000 estimate will be $5,000,000+ just from inflation alone, not including any design changes and/or construction obstacles and delays.

We are the fifth poorest County in Kansas. And look how the State permits will spend five million dollars on an Elk County project, AND direct 90+% of the money to leave our county for the State's licensed and bonded Corporate buddies in places like Wichita or Kansas City or Topeka. And that buddy-system means the poor counties stay poor. That is by design, not coincidence. They take our dollars of wealth and return us pennies of debt.

There is the 21st century version of the fight Ron Reagan spoke to. And not a Legislator, State regulatory bureaucrat, or a County Commissioner will side with our right to choose, and our need to participate in the design considerations and the construction. All they want is to rubber stamp the State's standard permit. Will our Mayor [regardless of who is] or our Council members [regardless of who are] speak out? Unlikely. My next post will be alternatives to that rubber stamp State permit that should receive consideration by designers and regulators.

[CCarl]

Remember Telling Campfire Circle Stories?

Lean to your right and tell the person next to you a short story, even a rumor. By the time it goes from ear to mouth to ear around the circle and comes back you may not recognize it. No telling how much it has changed.
So here I am, leaning to my right and starting a rumor that will no doubt spread through Longton in many forms.

Longton Is Going To Have A Cathouse!!

The newest Cathouse will be located at 301 Montgomery. Several of Longton's finest will be approaching the inheritor of Ron's estate, and ask that the currently abandoned property be donated for the cause.
Three questions immediately come to mind:
- What hours will the Cathouse operate?
- Will it have off-street parking?
- Who will be the Madame of the establishment?

I'm sure whomever becomes the Madame, or Manager, there will be assurances to the community of mandatory neutering and mandatory vaccinations. It could become 2020 all over again. I hope there will be assurances of some sort to control the air quality. That may best be achieved by setting limits on how many Cats are served, or placing a limit on the time a stray can stay.
Another few questions have come up. If the Cathouse organizes as a charity, will it stand to gain State or Federal subsidies? Or will it appeal for a small take of our property taxes? Maybe it could retain a Grant writer!
Will a political maelstrom occur over the fact that the homeless will be given resident status, free food, and free medical care. No . . I doubt that sex change will be an issue. But maybe euthanasia will become an issue. Our new Cathouse might even influence election year politics!
But listen up all you fellers who trap stray Cats on your property. There will no longer be a need to transport them out into the County for 'release'. Just drive by 301 Montgomery, and leave them on the porch. They'll be in the hands of folks who love them.
Three last questions. Given Cat fecundity plus a local encampment for Cat congregation, how long will it be before the population of the Cathouse is greater than Longton's human population? Will Longton be controlling Cats, or will the Cathouse eventually be out of control?

Keep your ears open to hear what Cathouse stories come from the Longton rumor circle.

[CCarl]

The Essence of Longton's Demise & Elk County's Poverty

https://www.zerohedge.com/food/weve-become-serfs-our-own-land-usda-trap-foreign-land-sales-and-collapse-american-farming

What else would it be, but government interference in land ownership and the marketplace. If you 'get' this, you will also 'get' where change has to start. And wrong, it does NOT start with more subsidies.

[CCarl]

August '25 Election Results

Adieu to Jennifer and Rob. Hard to believe the apparent pallor cast toward Jennifer because of her husband's legal response to the SO's and DA's abridgment of his, and all of our, Rights. In my 14 years of observation she has consistently been a steward of the taxpayers' money, looking only to spend when and where spending was necessary. Taxpayers will miss her voice, and Rob's as well.

So what about a new city council in 5 months with two returning big spenders! Imagine the consequence if you can. I'm assuming here that the top two finishers in this primary will also be the top two in November. I'll eat my words if that isn't so, but I wonder how the City can justify funding two election cycles for council seats. Just line them all up in November, save some money, and have the same outcome.

Beware of big spending come January. That is the consequence. We will see spending approved unanimously. How long ago was a million bucks approved by Council to chip seal our town's roads? How much of town was done, maybe half? How long before the chip seal started breaking up, maybe 2 years? Who sat on City Council then? Oh . . . Stand by for more spending, stand by for increased City budgets, stand by for increases in property taxes, stand by for more attempts to solicit other people's money in terms of grants and subsidies.

And stand by for a 5 million dollar sewer system lining that will last less than 5 years before it begins to crack and leak again, and will be more expensive to patch than our current 50-year old system. And stand by to have the explanation that it is a deal because 80% of the costs can be granted or subsidized away!! Yippee!

But it doesn't work that way does it?! Nothing is free. Somebody always pays the invoice. Taxpayers will ultimately pay the grant and subsidy money. Just not taxpayers solely in Longton. I hope that is not okay with everyone in Longton. That is the way big business and big government work to extract our wealth and leave poor Americans debt riddled. That is why main street Longton is vacant and/or torn down.

Good luck Longtonites, you elected the Council, you get to enjoy the indebtedness.

Farewell Jennifer. May the next County and the next City treat you with the same honor you gave us.

[CCarl]

August 13th City Council Meeting

BG Consultants has been doing pro bono work for Longton for about a year (that I know of) to help us get the sewer line repair permit underway.

An engineer from BG will be speaking at the next council meeting, with the focus of explaining various grants and subsidies to divert three-fourths of the project costs from Longton to others.

Paying to repair the 50-year old system, or to completely replace it, is a major concern, no doubt. But, the discussion is premature in my mind, because a different mayor and two new council members will be seated before the permit gets rolling.

It is also premature in the sense that actual costs are unknown at this time, and will be unknown until a smoke test and closed caption TV have provided data to assess exactly where, and how much of, the system needs work. Once that is done, preliminary designs can be completed and more accurate costs determined. At that point, project alternatives get considered, then the funding issue meeting will need to be updated.

However, if you are interested in hearing what funding options may be available, a short discussion of that will happen next Wednesday evening. Please attend.

[CCarl]

Permit & Administrative Thoughts for Longton's
Sewer System Repair/Replacement/Enhancement Project

Bonnie Foged, our town's many-hat-wearing City Clerk, and I have discussed concerns and alternatives regarding upgrades to the City's 50-year old sewer system since I heard about BG Consultants' September 2024 memo to the City, providing a projected cost estimate of nearly $4,000,000.00 for needed repairs to the sewer system. That estimate is for a single option, lining the existing sewer with an epoxy that hardens and seals the old tile pipe. That cost also includes upgrading four pump/lift stations, and upgrading all the manholes.
I have little doubt the epoxy liner procedure is commonly used today in older sewers, and is an accepted repair procedure that the State will permit with the least hesitancy. BG Consultants has designed and permitted many of these for small, rural counties in Kansas. I also know from my own experience [as an Environmental Consultant for two dozen years] that once initial studies, initial design, State review, final design, a 2nd State review, permit authorization, and construction activities are completed it will be 2030, or later. That schedule will likely include two summer low ground water periods for construction. That schedule will also include a bid period of 60 to 90 days to select the consulting engineers, and a second 60 to 90 day bid period to select the construction contractors.

As I mentioned in a prior post, monetary issues over inflation and budget deficits will drive that $4,000,000.00 to become $5,000,000.00 [it's become $4.3 million since the September 2024 Memo]. And, of course, that greater dollar amount does not include cost over runs.

Here is a reminder of some background information. We are in a city and a county whose population has been in decline for the past 50 years, without an up-tick. There are no demographics and/or economic studies that suggest a sudden revival is on the horizon. Realism says this sewer line project should not be aimed at a like-new system to handle a growing population. The project should be approached with two primary considerations; 1) making the sewer system adequate for a declining population, and 2) minimizing the costs of repair, and of future operations.

Subsequent posts outline other options [to the epoxy lining] that have not been discussed to date. Yes, there are options, and the State should evaluate them in detail through an Alternative Analyses that considers the options in subsequent posts and others, and culminates in identifying and permitting a least cost practical alternative.

The City has a number of administrative considerations to manage.
One, all hook-ups to the sewer lines must be modified. Who gets these new hook-ups besides public buildings and active residences? Vacant homes? Unlivable homes? Undeveloped lots? Anyone who starts paying a monthly sewer fee, whether the sewer is used or not? What is the City legally required to do?
Two, during construction, how long will residents of a city block be unable to flush? Will we end up with port-a-potties all over town?
Three, Maintenance costs going forward must be estimated for the options  and the numerous variations in the extent of repairs, because future costs of operation will vary by option, and need to be included in the total cost of that option.

A final note before looking at options. We have sewer system problems because forces of nature deteriorated the old tile structure over time. Those forces; moisture, shrinking and swelling of clay, freezing and thawing, and subsidence of the tile pipes, started the deterioration by cracking the outside of the tile pipes. No matter what option is chosen, those forces will not change, and will act on any pipe placed in the ground, lined or not.

[CCarl]

Option One: Epoxy Lining per BG Consultant's September 2024 Memo

This option would line 5.57 miles of sewer line with Epoxy, upgrades four pump stations, and upgrades all manholes [and hopefully, but not shown as a budget line item, replaces portions of the old tile pipe that are too deteriorated to be sealed with epoxy]. The September 2024 memo shows an extensive list of costs associated with this option. See Bonnie at City Hall for more details.  BG Consultants can also offer detailed descriptions of the required design elements and construction activities.
Longton has 149 residences currently paying for water and sewer, and 154 total hook-ups as of April 2025. Using $5,000,000.00 as a project cost explained in a previous post, Option One's actual costs will be close to $5,000,000/149 or $33,557.00 per paying user. Although there are various grants and subsidies to reduce that number for Longton residents, it is the actual cost to all taxpayers, and it should be the cost used to compare this option to all other options.
What I want to open for discussion are the potential drawbacks and limitations to this option. An epoxy saturated felt liner is extruded into the old tile sewer line where it hardens into place, sealing cracks on the inside of the sewer pipes. I have the following questions about this option.

1) Does the epoxy contain PVC's [micro-plastics] that are currently regulated in domestic water systems, and may be regulated in effluence by the time this project has been completed? If so, monitoring for, and abatement of, those PVC's is one additional, unaccounted cost.

2) Can City personnel repair an epoxy liner or is a specialist or special equipment needed? If local personnel cannot repair it, that is also an additional, unaccounted cost.

3) Does the epoxy seal cracks to the full thickness of the tile pipe, or is it just function as a 'veneer' on the inside of the lines? Does pressure somehow extrude the epoxy through cracks to the outer surface of the tile pipe?

4) If the answer to 3) is No, then what prevents the cracks on the outside of the old tile from further deterioration? Nothing. What happens when outer cracks cause the tile to fall away from the epoxy liner? Is the epoxy liner up to the task of "going it alone" once the tile around it deteriorates? How will this increase maintenance costs over time? Is this another unaccounted cost?

5) Without an outer tile in place five-plus years down the road [for example], will the epoxy liner be stiff or flexible? How thick is it? What will it do under seasonal and extreme moisture variations since it is surrounded by clayey soils that shrink and swell? [The sewer system is constructed mostly in Mason silt loam soils. Mason has a moderate shrink swell potential below 14 inches.] Will it flex safely, or will it crack and fail?

6) A smoke test and closed caption TV footage [CCTV] will identify cave-ins and cracks that go through the thickness of the tile. It seems these tests will be unable to identify cracks on the outside of the tile that do not go through the tile now, but eventually will. Does this option offer any mechanisms to slow or stop the development of those cracks?

7) Where do engineers draw the line between cracked tile that can be lined and tile that is so badly cracked it cannot be lined? What are the determining criteria for lining old tile versus replacing old tile? Is there a possible option of lining the worst say 50%, and significantly cutting costs? Does the same criteria apply to considering other options below?

[Not sure why an eight and a parenthesis became a smiley face!] This option calls for upgrading four pump/lift stations at a cost of $500,000.00. These stations pump sewer effluent up a grade. These were designed about 1970 so the project could have a single, effluent-retention pond in the northeast corner of the City. Will the upgrades to the pump stations require more, or less, in long-term maintenance costs? The option of a second effluent pond that would eliminate a pump station is discussed as Option 6 [Note; the Moline sewer system was designed without any pump stations, all lines are gravity fed].

9) The City should provide data on the annual costs of maintaining and repairing the current sewer system, as a baseline to evaluate/estimate future annual costs of operation after a new system is functional. These costs should be reflected in the Alternative Analyses.

[CCarl]

Option Two: Septic Tanks/Drain Fields Replace the Existing Sewer System

No need to describe these, they are common world-wide, and widely approved, including in the State of Kansas. There are mounded drain fields approved where the native soil will not pass a "perc test". And there are systems approved where a number of residents, each with a septic tank, share a common drain field. In low housing density Longton it is possibly feasible to have a shared drain field on most city blocks.

I found one website that showed average costs of a conventional septic system installation. For a three bedroom home the cost range in Elk County is $6200-$7365. The site provided little details, so I do not know if "perc test" costs are included, or if the cost range includes a mound drain field option. Another site [https://point.com/blog/how-much-does-a-septic-system-cost] doubled that cost but was generalizing it for all 50 states. The second site implied all design costs were included in the price. As a viable option, these costs need to be specified, but for this discussion, assume a combination of individual drain fields, mounded drain fields, and shared drain fields averages out to be $14,000 per user as a replacement cost to the sewer system. That cost is approximately 42% of Option One costs.

What are the pluses of this option? IMO, the biggest plus is the long-term maintenance costs are borne by the user, not the taxpayer. The first website quoted a general $275.00 fee to clean out a septic tank. How often that is needed depends on family size. I lived as a single user for nine years in a home with a septic tank, never had it cleaned, and never had a problem.

What are the draw backs? In general the State is reluctant to permit drain fields in cities. It worries about effluent escape and the potential health hazard. A Note on this: Ask Bonnie, the City Clerk, how many times the City has reported effluent on the surface of our sewer rights-of-way after a large storm. The City provided the State a record of all those events, and the State still refused the City an initial grant in February 2025 to begin design work on a new sewer system. It seems the State is not all that worried about escaped effluent. So the reluctance to permit septic systems throughout our city should yield if this option becomes the one our residents prefer. It will undoubtedly become the least costly, unless the extent of sewer line that gets lined or replaced is significantly reduced.

[CCarl]

What Was That??  What Did You Say??

I Said Modern Farming Is Destroying Small Communities

Read this link:  https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/death-small-farm-death-rural-america

This is exactly what the hands-out-for-subsidy-folks cannot grasp. The wealth leaves our County with government programs that subsidize, set quotas, and over control the marketplace. This article explains it, and offers a solution. The City's sewer project will do the same, as I've mentioned.

What used to be 20 or 30 small farms—each with a household and family that supported the local restaurant, gas station, feed store, [the grocery store, the hardware store, the farmers' markets], and the veterinarian who served a few counties—is now replaced by a single sprawling operation with no animals, no neighbors, and no community.

Small farms matter because they produce food where it's eaten, keeping supply chains short and resilient. They're often the ones growing the vegetables at your farmers market, the eggs from down the road, the beef from a rancher you know by name. They support biodiversity, employ more people per acre, and keep profits circulating locally. Dismissing them as outdated isn't just wrong—it's dangerous to our food security.