No Lead Pipe Cinch

The City of Fond du Lac’s plans for mandatory replace of lead pipe water services will become voluntary for this year. Prior to an update on the issue for the City Council Wednesday night Mike Butler of Brownsville, who owns properties in the City, called the program a scam. He says the money the City is getting through a Safe Water Drinking Loan program is “garbage.” He says it is nothing compared to what the project is really going to cost. Later City Manager Joe Moore and Public Works Director Jordan Skiff told the Council the low bidder for the project had to drop out, which significantly raised costs. The low bid was about $385,000, but the second lowest bidder submitted a bid of nearly $700,000. Moore says they had already sent out letters to affected property owners based on the lowest bid. He says it wouldn’t be fair to those property owners to send out a second letter signficantl raising their assessments. Skiff says they will make the program voluntary this year and next year lower the quantity of homes they would like to see participate.