County prioritizes emergency work near Sidney to protect treatment plant and communications tower

Drainage staff told the board a high-priority tile blockage near Sidney is threatening municipal infrastructure, including the town’s sewage-treatment plant and the county communications tower.

Jim, a county drainage staff member, said the tile in that stretch runs under or very near railroad right-of-way, is as deep as 11 feet in places, and has trees and utility lines nearby. He said the county has run a cable and is working with contractors to open the tile immediately, with plans to replace several hundred feet of tile and to set monitoring manholes once the water is moved.

Because the tile lies close to the railroad right-of-way and fiber-optic lines, staff said they will need to move tile off the railroad property where feasible and coordinate with utilities. Jim described securing contractor help “this afternoon” to get water flowing and emphasized the Sidney location is a top priority because of the risk to the treatment plant and communications infrastructure.

The board did not take a formal vote on this item; staff described operational steps and said they will report back as work progresses.