The Town of Clayton council voted to authorize repairs to a failing storm drain serving a property on West Michigan Street and to buy a pipeline-inspection camera to pinpoint damage and reduce future uncertainty.

At the council's Nov. meeting, Speaker 4 summarized a field inspection at the Kilmans' property and said contractors offered two repair estimates: a partial repair beginning at visible sinkholes for roughly $2,900, or a full replacement that would cross a driveway for about $6,800. Speaker 2 moved to appropriate up to $6,800 to cover the full-replacement scenario “with the understanding that if a partial $2,900 fix proves sufficient, the town will only spend the lower amount.” The motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.

Council members and staff discussed several complicating facts: the pipe is older clay tile and town records do not show where the drain ultimately discharges; earlier camera runs could not reach the pipe’s downstream sections. Speaker 1 and others said the proposal is to start at the visible sinkholes and proceed incrementally so the town can confirm whether the pipe can be repaired without a full replacement.

To improve diagnostics, the council approved purchasing a manual push pipeline camera with locator capability (the motion specified the lower-cost option discussed in the meeting). Council members described the camera as a way to identify the precise point to dig and to avoid unnecessary excavation.

Councilors reviewed the storm-drain fund before the vote. Minutes record a current balance figure that was spoken during the meeting (transcribed in the record as roughly "$43.02 33"); the transcript numbers are unclear, so the precise balance is not specified here. The council’s fiscal discussion noted that appropriating $6,800 would reduce available storm-drain funds for next year and that staff will prioritize urgent repairs first.

The council directed staff to coordinate easements or access agreements with affected homeowners if needed and to report back after camera runs and the initial excavation to confirm the final scope and cost.

What’s next: Staff will run the camera or schedule contractor camera runs, begin the targeted excavation at the identified sinkholes, and return with a report on whether the partial repair suffices or whether the full-replacement costs apply.