Meeting Minutes October 2023
Meeting Minutes from the Bemis Park Neighborhood Association meeting for October 10, 2023
A total of 19 people attended tonight’s meeting at Augustana Lutheran Church. The current budget is $4,559.03
Metropolitan Utilities District presents
During the Oct. 10 meeting, four representatives from the Metropolitan Utilities District (MUD) talked about a variety of upcoming projects in the area, along with how to get updates and information from MUD.
For example, you can visit this link to see a map at the bottom of the page, of all the planned upcoming MUD gas and water line projects: Infrastructure Replacement (I.R.) Projects - Metropolitan Utilities District (mudomaha.com). Outside of work on the roof at the Walnut Hill reservoir, nothing else shows up for the Bemis Park neighborhood as of Nov. 11.
Most of the discussion was on MUD’s goal of replacing cast iron gas mains by the end of 2027. Since the program began in 2008, they’ve replaced 420 miles of gas mains.
They said Bemis Park some time in 2024 will have a major gas line replacement project coming.
If the gas main by your home is being replaced anyway, MUD will replace your gas line to it for free if it’s cast iron, they said.
Call MUD at 402.554.6666 to find out the age of your gas and water lines and if the main you connect to is going to be replaced any time soon.
Having to replace a broken gas line could cost $7,000 to $10,000. Unlike copper, the entire piece between your house and main connection needs to be replaced, not just a portion.
If you do have cast iron gas pipes and not copper, is it worth paying for the HomeServe insurance? Megan Walter, manager of customer engagement for MUD, who deals with HomeServe daily, thinks it’s worth the money if your pipes are more than 100 years old and therefore cast iron.
Should you buy the HomeService insurance?
Online if you research information about Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA), also known as Homserve, a home repair service that partners with OPPD and the MUD to provide insurance water and electrical line repairs. SLWA has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and has been recognized as America’s largest and most trusted source of utility line plans endorsed by the National League of Cities (NLC).
But dig into some of these forums, and while you’ll see many people saying they were very pleased, you see others who were complaining about terribly poor treatment by the company.
Based on the reviews, this is another example where your experience can vary dramatically depending on who you happen to speak with from the company. Here are some of the links if you’re thinking about purchasing the insurance.
www.slwofa.com/ www.homewarrantyreviews.com/companies/service-line-warranties-slw/
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/home-finances/reviews/homeserve#:~:text=We%20rated %20HomeServe%204.2%20out,service%20fee%20for%20systems%20plans
https://www.homewarrantyreviews.com/companies/service-line-warranties-slw/ 6. https://www.angi.com/companylist/us/pa/canonsburg/service-line-warranties-of-america-r eviews-7599238.htm
In addition, MUD is working on replacing 25 miles of water mains each year. They are prioritizing the mains based on several factors around the age and likelihood of it breaking.
What’s up MUD’s Walnut Hill? Nothing beyond some roof construction work, for now.
For the next several months trucks will be driving in and out of the site, removing the rubber membrane of the water tanks. In order for anyone to rebuild on the site, MUD officials say significant work has to be done. They currently have no definitive plans on what to do. inCommon, the community center organization nearby has voiced interest, but MUD said nothing is official.
In other news:
Neighbors on Mercer Boulevard have noticed several presumably stolen Kias and Hyundai cars getting dumped nearby. If you see a car you suspect might be abandoned, you can report it to the mayor’s hotline 402-444-5555, or email hotline@cityofomaha.org.
Meeting notes submitted by BPNA Secretary Patrick Garmoe
