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Some Smithville residents’ sewer headaches could be less severe by next Christmas.

The city of Smithville plans to complete the Woodland Avenue street and sewer improvements by this time next year.

On Dec. 15 the Board of Aldermen preliminarily approved a proposal to award the $1.1 million project to Amino Brothers Co. of Kansas City, Kan.

Smithville residents’ property tax payments are funding the project.

If all goes as planned, construction should begin in spring 2010, and the project could come to an end in fall 2010, city administrator Gerry Vernon said.

Next month, the board is expected to give the bid award final approval.

The improvements, which target one of the oldest parts of the city’s infrastructure, should increase sewer capacity, freeing up space for existing and future sewer customers.

Sewer backups and sewer leaks should decrease, and storm water should no longer enter sewers. The city’s sewer maintenance costs should also go down.

Street lights

Due to light pollution concerns, board members requested that Kansas City Power & Light halt a street light project in Smithville.

Prior to the meeting, alderman Mark Krokstrom discovered that KCP&L had been replacing the city’s mercury vapor lights with high-pressure sodium lights. While mercury vapor lights must go, Krokstrom thought dark sky friendly lights, not high-pressure sodium lights, should be the replacement of choice. Other board members and the mayor agreed.

High-pressure sodium lights are less expensive and more energy efficient than dark sky friendly lights. However, of the two options, dark sky friendly lights do a better job of keeping light from a street light on the ground and contained to a specific area, not off in the sky and surrounding areas.

Krokstrom said the high-pressure sodium street lights can cause situations where “people have to deal with that light coming in through their blinds at night.”

The city’s contract with KCP&L allows the company to maintain the city’s lights.

Aldermen Bob Foreman and Jake Hild abstained from voting on the issue, and the other four board members voted to ask KCP&L to halt the project while the city studies dark sky friendly lights.

A representative from KCP&L present at the meeting indicated that while she couldn’t make any promises, the company wanted to work with the city on the issue.

The project affects 151 lights, which represents about one-third of the city’s lights.

Water pressure

Alderman Bob Foreman expressed concern with the low water pressure issues related to the new water tower.

“We’ve been promising the citizens in the south end of town that this would be the end-all,” Foreman said. “The city needs to work quickly to figure this out. This is not a good situation.”

Since the new tower — off U.S. Highway 169 in south Smithville — went online earlier this fall, water pressure has reportedly been lower than it was before the additional tower was functional.

City officials have said the low water pressure is tied to the gap between the tower’s capacity and current water usage. While the tower is well-positioned for south Smithville growth, current water demand doesn’t justify filling the tower, which has led to low pressure.

Assistant city administrator Bret Bauer said the city is working with HDR/Archer Engineers — the company the city pays to help sort out water tower issues — to solve the problem.

“We need to get what we paid for,” Foreman said.

Key to the city

Mayor Carol Troutwine informed the board that she presented Lou Kindred with a key to the city during the new Smithville library’s open house celebration on Dec. 12. Kindred, a Smithville resident who has been a Mid-Continent Public Library trustee for 33 years, was instrumental in bringing the new building to the city.

Smithville Editor Nancy Hull Rigdon can be reached at 532-4444 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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