Brimfield to start fire-hydrant replacement

By MOLLY RICHESON
For The Weekly Post

BRIMFIELD – The Brimfield Village Board has picked three locations to start an overhaul of the city’s fire-hydrant system.

Eventually, Brimfield plans to replace 40-45 hydrants that were installed in the 1960s. The first three selected for replacement are in the south end of town. One has a valve that prevents it from shutting off, one is completely unusable and another is not trusted to turn on or off.

The board approved spending up to $25,000 to replace the hydrants. Parts will cost $14,614. Because the village wants to keep the water shutdown to a minimum, D.E. Boland Mechanical will be hired to help village employees finish work in one day for an anticipated $3,000 to $5,000.

The board considered servicing two hydrants and saving $3,000 but rejected the idea since it would require water to be shut off to that part of town if the hydrant ever needed to be opened – if it would open at all.

“Based on my experience in the fire department, there’s nothing worse than the feeling of going to a hydrant that won’t open when you need it,” President Dan Fishel said.

Brimfield will spend up to $4,500 to hire an engineer to help the village draw up a water-protection plan. This is needed to get in compliance with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, which requires any community water supply that treats surface water or groundwater to have a vision statement describing the water-supply policy and protection commitment, an assessment of water sources, quality and contaminants, measurable objectives for protecting source water and an action plan to meet those objectives.

“We can’t avoid it, especially when asking (IEPA) for a million-dollar loan,” Fishel said.

Shirley Cinnamon, a longtime Brimfield resident who passed away last July, was recognized as an honorary board member of the Brimfield Area Museum at the museum’s request.

Fishel described Cinnamon as a wonderful historian who was active in the historical society. She was also involved in the school district’s athletic, agriculture and foreign-exchange programs, St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church and Cinnamon Tree Farm.

Village Trustee Brian Porter was appointed as a zoning officer, replacing Steve Williams. The village is also looking for a new zoning member to replace William Symonds.