Fluoride in water to be put to vote

The decision on fluoridation is in the voters’ hands.

The Beatrice City Council voted 7-0 Monday evening to authorize a resolution to allow Beatrice residents to either reject or adopt an ordinance to prohibit the addition of fluoride to the city water system. The issue will be on the Nov. 4 ballot.

In April, the Nebraska Legislature passed LB245, which requires fluoride to be added to drinking water in cities and towns with more than 1,000 residents by June 1, 2010.  

Under the state law, cities and towns would be able to opt out of the requirement if residents vote it down or if there is there is enough naturally occurring fluoride already in the water supply.

Most of Nebraska’ population — more than 942,000 people — is served by 65 public water systems that add fluoride to water. Forty-one systems are naturally fluoridated.

But 64 Nebraska communities with more than 1,000 people, including Beatrice,     don’t add fluoride or have enough on their own. Beatrice water’s natural fluoridation level is .25.

If the city does add fluoride, residential water customers would see an increase of about 25 cents on their monthly bill, Water Superintendent Steve Kelley said. Commercial customers would see about a $1.50 increase each month.

Beatrice Public Water would likely have to spend about $88,000 to buy and install equipment and put up a building to fluoridate, Kelley said. After that, he said, he would cost about $15,000 a year to fluoridate.

City Councilman Ted Fairbanks asked how much responsibility the council would have for disseminating information to the public on the matter.

Beatrice Mayor Dennis Schuster said the council should provide factual information about LB245 and the cost to fluoridate.

The public should also ask questions and do its own research, he said.

As a city, Schuster said, it would be unfair to advocate one side over another.

“I would be very uncomfortable advocating one position or another,” he said. “There are two positions. The best that we can do is provide what factual information we have.”

Councilman Alan Fetty agreed.

“It’s also important that we let the people make the decision,” he said.

Beatrice fluoridated its water from April 17, 1950, to Nov. 23, 1954, as recommended by the Gage County Dental Association. Fluoridation stopped in 1954 after a petition was circulated in the community and the issue was placed on the ballot, Kelley said. Voters chose 2 to 1 to stop fluoridation. The issue was on the ballot two or three other times as well.

Other business before the council on Monday included the following.

Chautauqua Park playground equipment: Approved a request to move $18,000 from the capital improvement budget line for park road repairs to be used for the purchase of playground equipment at Chautauqua Park. The $20,000 remaining in park road repair money will be used to fix roads next fiscal year.

Union negotiations: Approved receipt of notice to begin contract negotiations with the Nebraska Association of Public Employees, Firefighter Local 1098 and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #45A.

City property agreement: Approved to postpone until Aug. 18 discussion on the license agreement with Ron and Vicki Hasley for ingress/egress rights on city property

Scott Street: Approved Scott Street drainage ditch repairs, from Center to Helen streets, in the amount of $39,025, to D.L. Lottman Excavating as recommended by the Board of Public Works.

Handicap parking: Approved the resolution for installation of a handicap parking stall and a loading/unloading stall on the north side of Court Street, between Fifth and Sixth streets.

Accessory structures: Approved the amendment to sections pertaining to the zoning ordinance of the City of Beatrice regarding attached and detached accessory structures and setbacks. An accessory structure is defined as incidental to and customarily associated with a specific principal use or primary use residence or building on the same site and lot, either attached or detached. Any detached accessory building shall not exceed a maximum of 18 feet in height, measured to the ridge of the roof, unless a special use permit to allow maximum height of 22 feet to the ridge of the roof is approved by the Beatrice Planning and Zoning Board. Accessory buildings in residential district, including private community garages, may be a minimum of five feet from the side or rear lot line if set back 60 feet or more from the front lot line. Any such accessory building must meet current adopted building code design requirements for separation to other structures on the same lot.