Latimer Council moves forward with further water system inspections

     Following reports from Latimer residents about basement flooding in town homes, in regards to leakage in drain tile, Franklin County Supervisor Gary McVicker and County Engineer Lee Gallentine (Ryken Engineering and Land Surveying, Inc.) gave mayor and council a report about the state of the drain systems running through town.
     Gallentine presented several possible problem areas to the governing body, drawing from his tour of the town and his preliminary map analysis.
     Latimer has drain tile that runs through it from farms out of town. As the town relies on the drain tile for proper drainage, it is part of a drainage district with other land owners. Though the drain tile runs through the town, it is the county who is responsible for scheduling repairs to portions of the district.
     All over the state of Iowa, counties serve the role as drainage district trustees, who are left in charge of maintaining the drains. Each drainage district, however, is responsible for paying the fee to make repairs, based on a proportional rate of who benefits the most from the drainage system. 
    Read the full article in the November 16 edition of the Hampton Chronicle.