WESTFIELD - While it might just seem like waste to some, it may have reusable nutrients for others.
Brothers Jere and Jon Northrup are looking to demonstrate their Timberfish Project will save municipalities money. Along with Aaron Resnick, executive director of the Westfield Development Corporation, they brought their proposal in front of the Village Board at a recent meeting.
The project hopes to recycle and reuse nutrients and materials often considered as waste products. One of the applications is to treat municipal wastewater, and the Northrups want to demonstrate this using the Westfield Wastewater Treatment Plant as an example.
"We believe we showed substantial cost avoidance so that ... this could be applied and could save Westfield significant amounts of money," Jere Northrup said.
The project will be totally self-funded at no cost to Westfield. All the project would require from the village is roughly 10 percent of its waste sludge and some land to place their tanks. The board passed the motion unanimously.
"I think it's a win-win situation for both the village and those people who are promoting it," Village of Westfield Mayor David Carr, who had heard the presentation before, said. "I wish you good luck."
The board also heard from Senior Water Plant Operator Wayne Cardy about the control board for the water plant frying circuit recently. A replacement circuit was found in California and the water plant received it in less than 24 hours of the issue, however the board dates back to 1995, so replacement parts are scarce.
Therefore, three replacements were purchased out of the possible last 42 in existence, and Cardy brought up it might be time to start looking into updating the outdated system.
In other business:
A $100 deposit fee for using Ottaway Park will begin being collected on Memorial Day 2013 and a sign stating "Park is closed during reserved events" will be posted. This change was made due to problems with vandalism and users leaving trash behind.
The village has applied for the Justice Court Grant. If the grant is awarded, the village would use the money for new computer equipment for its court.
The board approved timbering on the Robbins, Mann and Beadle tracts of the village's watershed property. This is a process the village has been doing for years, and Carr said it will not affect the nature of the property.
The board approved waiving the 30 day municipal notification requirement as requested by Robert Heil, Liquor License Consultant to Brazill's, the new restaurant at 5-7 E. Main St., where Sapore's used to be. Brazill's is looking to serve liquor, beer and wine.
The board approved for $69,464 in unpaid village taxes to be sent to the county.
The board also approved a request for DOBRA continuation coverage for Karel Hamilton and a bond resolution to finance the Woodrig Reservoir PRV and the Westside Pumpstation Improvement projects. The reservoir project is estimated to cost $600,000 while the pumpstation project is estimated to cost $300,000.
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