The Piedmont City Council, on Tuesday, agreed to proceed with improvements to the city’s aging water treatment plant, accepting a state loan to cover expenses. The $1 million loan with an interest rate of 2.25 percent will be paid back over the next 20 years.
Concerned over adding to the already $70,000 in monthly debt payments, Council Member Brenda Spears asked the council to postpone the decision in order to further evaluate the plan. Up against a deadline, and faced with fears of a possible malfunction with the treatment plant, the council, however, voted to go forward with the measure.
Built in 1954 and last upgraded in 1971, the water treatment facility has only one pump. If the lone pump were to fail, city residents would be left without water.
The original plan called for bringing one of two city wells online at a cost of $400,000, after spending about $200,000 to dig the wells.
While the upgrades to the water treatment facility would save the city about $40,000 per year in energy savings, adding the well would only save the city an additional $8,000 per year, according to city official Jessie McKnight.
McKnight also informed the council that the city would receive at least an additional $100,000 in grant monies from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to help with the cost of the improvements.
While the $1 million loan would cover the price of both facility upgrades and the well project, costing the city $96,000 per year in additional debt payment, city officials have not determined the cost of loan money for just the treatment facility.
In other business, after a attempting a trial run to save money by cutting the grass at Highland Cemetery with city employees, the council decided that this was not feasible and instead awarded a bid for grass cutting at the cemetery to A&W Lawn Kare for $1,600 per cut.
The council declared 2 lots on Anniston Avenue as surplus. This will allow the city to accept bids to sell the land. The council had previously agreed to sell the property to a local resident, but later discovered that they were required to allow the public to bid on the property instead.
In the midst of a hiring freeze, the council voted to allow Mayor Bill Baker to fill two vacancies with the hiring of a new employee for the utility department and another for the sanitation department.
Bills for payment were approved in the amount of $495,063.11 in addition to a payroll amount of $165,510.14 for a total of $660,573.25.
The council selected Billy Lindsey as the city’s nominee to the Calhoun County Board of Equalization.
Also, the council voted to require residents to contact the Mayor’s office with complaints and concerns over the city cemetery.
The council also decided to require every individual or company who is hired by the city to have a contract with the city.
The next regular Piedmont City Council Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 21st, at 6 pm.