SABINA — As a precaution, a boil-water advisory is in effect village-wide as a result of a water main break on U.S. 22/S.R. 3 in town.
At village council Thursday night, Sabina Village Administrator Rob Dean said he expects to have the results from a water sample by Tuesday or so, at which time the boil advisory may be lifted.
With a boil-water advisory, residents should boil water they will drink or ingest. To boil water, fill a pot with water and heat the water until bubbles come from the bottom of the pot to the top. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, let it boil for one (1) minute.
Then turn off the heat source and let the water cool. And pour the water into a clean container with a cover for storage. People of course can also purchase commercial bottled water.
The water main break occurred on the 400 block of East Washington Street (U.S. 22/S.R. 3). Dean said the break appeared to be close to getting fixed — and then a band wouldn’t seal up all the way.
So village workers took the band off and were cleaning the pipe a little better when, said Dean, the water let go and they coudn’t stop it, so he had to shut the water tower off.
Eventually they got the band on, although Dean said, “We had to fight it a good bit.” But once they got the new band on and tightened it up, and then opened the water tower valve, “We instantly had good pressure again,” said Dean.
During the meeting of council, Sabina Police Chief Keynon Young reported the police department has two “sick cruisers.” During his report he also thanked the Sabina Church of Christ for recently having a recognition event and reception for local first responders including the police, along with workers employed by the village.
Sabina Fiscal Officer Nancy L. Cornell said her assistant Amy Burns will be pursuing a new opportunity elsewhere. Burns was well-suited to the job, said Cornell, adding “evidently the pay wasn’t enough for her to stay, with raising a small child.”
In a 5-0 vote, council approved a raise for village worker Steve Carroll. He was making $12 an hour before recently having his hourly pay rate go up 84 cents in conjunction with a work anniversary.
Cornell said, “I don’t think too many people can — you know, a family man — can raise a family on 12-something an hour.”
With council’s action, Carroll’s pay rate increased to $13.91 an hour. That intentionally matches the pay rate of a co-worker who has a similar job description and almost an identical full-time seniority, said the fiscal officer.
Councilwoman and Finance and Health & Safety Committee Chairperson Vicki Mongold said at the committee’s latest session they talked about the village’s emergency shelter situation now that the former Church of Christ building has been razed.
The discussion centered around keeping the Sabina Municipal Building as an emergency shelter, and checking on the availability of two other buildings in town — the Sabina United Methodist Church (UMC) and the Sabina Elementary School.
The Sabina UMC has a wheelchair-accessible basement, noted Mongold. The school is on the west side of town, whereas the municipal and UMC buildings are both in the downtown within a block of each other.
Mongold plans to contact decision-makers at the church and school.
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.
