Dexter Aldermen vote again to allow IDA to use city water at Global Fuels

The Dexter Board of Aldermen voted unanimously this week to do business with the Stoddard County Industrial Development Authority by selling them water.

A project that has been ongoing since 2007, Global Fuels visited the Dexter Board and requested permission to use city water at their plant east of town.

The agreement is actually set up through the IDA because they are the governmental entity that owns the Stoddard County Ag Complex where Global Fuels is located. Due to regulations, water may only be sold to a government body and not a private individual or business.

The proposed water line will run nearly 2.5 miles from near the Tyson Feed Mill down County Road 712 to the plant. While Global Fuels uses no water in its production process, the main reason for the request was to bring fire protection closer to the facility.

While no estimated cost for the project has been released to date, the project is set to be put out for bids in the very near future.

The funding for construction of the line is coming from a grant applied for by the IDA.

One concern the Board of Alderman had early on with the plan was the possibility of others tying on to the line and in turn shorting city residents water. The current agreement has been set up to ensure that does not happen.

Under the new contract, only the City of Dexter will have the authority to allow others to join the line. The fear was that another place like Tyson could go in out there and that would require far more water than the city could spare.

The city does seem to be pleased with the new deal, however, and they expect things to begin happening in the near future, it was indicated.