Should the City of Tama continue to add fluoride to the municipal water supply? With this issue reported cropping up in Des Moines recently, Public Works Director John Lloyd and Water Superintendent Kent Campbell gave Tama City Council members a heads up on the topic at the council’s regular meeting on Monday night, Dec. 16.

Lloyd and Campbell suggested council members consider whether to continue fluoridation and possibly might want to follow the Des Moines lead of holding a public hearing on the topic.

“It should be up to the majority of the consumers what they want to do,” Campbell said.

Campbell noted studies point to the benefits of fluoride in the water supply for healthy teeth development to claims it is a carcinogen.

Currently Tama water has four parts-per-million of fluoride, Campbell said. This is “fed” an additional three parts-per-million to bring it to the Department of Natural Resources recommended standard, he said. The current level has been reduced in DNR recommendations from an earlier one part-per-million.

There is no requirement to add fluoride to the water supply. Lloyd said records indicate Tama received a grant in 1986 to buy the equipment necessary to add fluoride. He said this equipment continues to work without a problem.

Campbell said a second positive point is the total cost for material and monthly testing is only about $1,700.

Tama dentist Nick Kubik who attended the meeting declined to comment telling the council “I am only here for information.”

In other business Monday night the council”

approved the lone bids of Carlson Painting Service, rural Tama, for repainting the fence, four columns and a sign at Oak Hill Cemetery at a total cost of $4,2050 and the ceiling of the Oak Park shelter house at a cost of $1,200.

heard a report on the televising of the city waste water system which Lindsay Beaman, Snyder and Associates engineer, said revealed a number of areas to be considered for work. The city has received approval of a $600,000 Community Development Block Grant which is to be matched with a like amount of city funds for sewer improvements. Beaman and Lloyd, the city Public Works director, said infiltration of the system from property owner lines to the city mains was revealed as a major problem. Lloyd said council members will be faced with determining if the property owners will be held responsible for their own lines or if the city will bear the cost of remedies. A generator remained a top item for the improvements, Beaman and Lloyd said. Beaman and city officials plan to continue to review the findings of the televised line survey to prioritize the needs. Council members approved the bill for Central Iowa Televising totaling $29,264.

tabled action on any pre-payment for fencing in connection with the East 9th Street bridge replacement to property owner Mike Skala until the final design is in place and approved by the Department of Transportation.