Marshall Municipal Utilities plans to place an item on the April 2008 ballot involving the fluoride that was added to tap water 17 years ago.

For MMU to add a question on the ballot, the Marshall City Council must file a request with the County Clerk.

The Board of Public Works members want to know if the city still wants the fluoride, which was originally put in the water in 1986 to reduce the amount of deterioration of children’s teeth.

“Why put something in the water that doesn’t need to be there?” said Mike Mills, board member. “We use chlorine to kill bacteria (so the water is unharmful).”

He added, he is amazed at how many people buy bottled water.

Environmental Services Director Ginny Ismay said the water naturally has 0.3 to 0.4 parts per million of fluoride. “We take it to one part per million,” she said.

“I think we should give the public the chance to give us their opinion on the matter,” said Jim Heinzler, board president.

On Tuesday, Sept. 25, the board authorized a sewer connection outside city limits to a new home being built by Cort and Jeana Pointer. The house is located south and west of the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The home is located near a large sewer trunk line. The Pointers are asking to connect to the public sewer instead of installing a septic system. They have agreed to pay all connection fees and to annex the property into city limits if and when the city decides to annex the area.

An easement request was authorized by the board in order to install utilities for the new Martin Community Center/Nicholas-Beazley Aviation Museum. The easement required is along the north and east sides of the center/museum. The property is owned by the city of Marshall. The easement is necessary if the city decides to sell the property in the future, General Manager Kyle Gibbs said. The easement will always stay with the property, no matter who owns it.

In other business, the board approved the purchase of a new $4,000 copier. The copier in Underground Facilities is at the end of its useful life, Gibbs said. The new copier will be placed in the business office because it sees a substantial amount more of use than other areas of MMU and the old business office copier will be moved to the Service Center where Underground Facilities is housed.

The next board meeting will be Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2007.

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