Eupora leaders have begun the budgeting process for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
The Board of Aldermen, during special called meetings Aug. 14 and Monday, discussed the 2009 tax millage and budget with Mayor Tommy Lott and City Clerk Lesa Hardin. Another budget work session is set for 6 p.m. today.
Also Monday, aldermen awarded a contract for Industrial Park II access and fencing. Two bids for the work were received and opened Friday, with the board accepting that of low bidder Ellis Construction for $26,900.
Jake's Recycling
The city board's regular monthly meeting on Aug. 4, which also lasted three hours, began with an appearance by Jake's Recycling owner Jake Rich and his attorney, Bill Ready of Louisville, who did all of the talking.
Aldermen have been discussing the appearance of the scrap metal buyer's property at 320 E. Roane Ave. for months and previously directed board attorney Hugh Gibson to contact Rich about cleaning it up. Gibson later said Rich told him to talk to his attorney about the matter.
On May 22, Gibson said he had spoken with Ready and felt the business would be cooperative in cleaning the property. Gibson said a letter would be written requesting he come into compliance, with copies sent of the junk vehicle and blight ordinances.
On June 2, Gibson said he had not been able to contact Ready but would continue to try to reach an agreement.
On July 7, Lott requested that the matter of Jake's be left entirely in the hands of the board attorney and Ready, who requested an appraisal or valuation of the Allied property on Adams Avenue Extended to be considered as an optional location for the business.
Gibson stated he felt getting an appraisal would be the next step if Rich was interested in purchasing the building, and that his existing building could be held to comply with the current blight ordinance as well as a written agreement not to conduct business in two separate locations.
The board approved a motion authorizing an appraisal of the Allied property and to possibly take bids on the property. Aldermen also requested Gibson send a second letter as outlined in the city blight ordinance and to go forth with prosecution in regards to the current business location.
Aldermen Jack Haney asked if the Allied property could be cleaned some by the city to make the area more appealing. Lott reported that Glenn Cagle had completed all metal work there as contracted, and that he would get with Street Department Director Charles Ray to see about getting the property cleaned.
On Aug. 4, Alderman Dan Burchfield asked Ready why Jake's had not abided by the city's blight and junkyard ordinances. Ready replied, "As far as we can tell, it's a lot better than it was."
Ready said Rich had cleaned up the property but did not have an opaque face around it as requested by the city. However, Ready pointed out that he had not seen such fences around similar businesses here.
Regarding the Allied property, Ready said in summary that they needed to know the real value of the property and that it needed to be cleaned of garbage. He also claimed that exposed hazardous material is still there although the Environmental Protection Agency has certified it as being safe after a Superfund cleanup there.
"You need to tell us when you want us to move by," said Ready. "The ball's in your court."
Lott told him that the city's attorney would handle the matter, and no aldermen asked any additional questions.
Stop Sign Request
Lenwood "Bud" Gladney and others met with the board to request that the city place four-way stop signs at Hall Road, Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Malone Drive. He said the roads are not wide enough and that the intersection is dangerous.
Police Chief Gregg Hunter confirmed that the intersection is busy and that serious accidents have occurred there, adding later, "Four-way stops are effective for controlling traffic."
Robert Calvin Mays, whose ward includes that area, made a motion to put a four-way stop there for safety purposes but it was never seconded.
After further discussion, the board directed the police chief to study the matter and report back, with safety being the main priority to be considered. The motion passed 3-2, with Haney and Mays voting nay.
"I've already studied it," said Mays. Haney had previously said he felt speed was the main problem.
In comments since then, Mays said a four-way stop should've already been put there and that all of the streets are too narrow in Churchill.
"It's time for something to be done on Churchill," he said.
Other Business
Cynthia Wilson, executive director of the Webster County Development Council, presented board members with her proposed budget and a packet of information about the organization. She reviewed projects she had been involved in and encouraged them to reinstate in part if not in whole funding that the city originally committed to the WCDC because it is having to dip into reserves
After meeting in executive session for personnel purposes with Street Department employee Shedrick Shaw, the board voted to rehire him as a city street worker. When the board rehired employees last month, it voted to rehire him for 30 days with Shaw to produce a letter from his doctor stating his medical situation as related to his work by Aug. 4.
The board agreed to allow Burchfield and Planner George Crawford of the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District investigate applying for a CDBG self-help grant.
Also discussed at the meeting was a 2000 Crown Victoria police car that had been transferred into surplus. The board voted in July to reject bids submitted to buy the car.
Based upon a request by the sheriff that the car be donated to the Sheriff's Department, the board authorized the mayor to exchange the value of the car (approximately $3,000) for credit against prisoner fees being charged to the city or expenses related to the Garan property if the county agreed and the board attorney approved.
On Aug. 4, Lott said he had been unable to contact Sheriff Phillip Smith about his request. Haney made a motion to donate it to the Sheriff's Department but it died for lack of a second. The board then voted to table the matter until next month after hearing from Smith.
In other business on Aug. 4, the board voted to:
increase garbage collection rates from $11.50 to $13 for residential service and from $14 to $20 for commercial service. Golden Triangle Waste Services is increasing its charges to the city for truck and waste services by 5 percent.
add Howard Rumore as a Fire Department volunteer upon the recommendation of Fire Chief Jerry Gary.
take under advisement two quotes for four scoreboards at Gary Park
accept a base bid of $396,429.50 from Delta Constructors for sewer system rehabilitation, including sewage pump station replacement. In a related matter, the board accepted a quote from Regions Bank, the lower of two received, for interim financing quotes for sewer construction. On Aug. 14, the board approved a related bond/interim financing resolution.
approve a resolution to apply for a Small Municipality Grant to repair Water Well No. 3.
reject all bids received for an excavator for the Water/Wastewater Department.
approve regulations for the new RV/camper park at Whites Creek Lake and set the length of rental time at no more than two weeks with a two-week break period before the same camper could rent a space again.
During the Aug. 14 meeting, the board also accepted the best annual material and supply bids, which had been taken under advisement, and approved a hazard mitigation resolution.
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