City officials asked for an appraisal of a building being considered for purchase to house the city's Water and Sewer office. The building on North Curtis Avenue owned by Collier Drug was offered to the city by Mel Collier, according to Ken Hayes, water and sewer department superintendent.
"We'd like to buy it," Hayes said, telling city officials the department has "basically in the last eight years thrown $52,000 out the door" by renting office space. He said the payment on the new place would be slightly more than the current rent but the city would own the building.
"How structurally sound is it," Bob Cottingham, council member, asked.
City officials agreed to get the building appraised.
Considering the second reading of an ordinance defining fire pits and addressing open burning in the city, council member Nadine Telgemeier questioned the ordinance.
"I was kind of under the impression you were going to just go to a second reading," she said, asking about redefining other items in the ordinance.
The ordinance was tabled and will be reconsidered at the June meeting.
Council members denied a request for a "service vehicle" from Fire Chief Jamie Baggett saying it wasn't a good time for such an expenditure.
Baggett presented several options to the council saying the vehicle could be bought with Act 833 funds and paid back within five years. When questioned by council members, Baggett said there are other needs for the Fire Department including a ladder truck.
"The way the Fire Department is growing, we've been looking at vehicles as a service vehicle to drive to classes, conferences. We pay 58.5 cents a mile for reimbursement for firefighters to drive their own vehicles," Baggett said.
"I honestly don't find it essential," Telgemeier said. "I don't know if I can go back to constituents with this."
"I tend to agree with you on that," Cottingham said. "I'm a big supporter, but there is something more tangible on the needed equipment."
In other business, city officials agreed to meet at 3 p.m. Monday, June 16, for a committee of the whole meeting to discuss regulations governing day care situations that do not fall within the state guidelines.
"We need to know a little more about it," Mayor Jackie Crabtree said.
General News on 05/21/2014