(Corrections made based on new information. See below. 03-01-2019)
The Alexander
City Council approved two equipment purchases for the street
department, both involving improvement of efficiency. While one will
improve the efficiency of the department the other will aid in the
efficiency of moving rain water from city streets to the ditches.
The first purchase
approved by council members was for a used, six-yard, Freightliner
dump truck. The city currently has a five-yard truck, but according
to Street Department Superintendent David Durham once the truck is
full, after cleaning a ditch for example, he has to wait for that
load to be emptied. With a second truck he can continue the process
without wasting time.
The price of the
truck is $7,250.00 and will be purchased from the City of Dothan,
Alabama. Mayor Paul Mitchell said the cost is within his spending
limit but he wanted to get council approval to keep them in the loop.
City employees will have to travel to Dothan and drive the truck to
Alexander.
The second purchase
approved by the council is for a new Bobcat with a front bucket and a
rotating brush attachment. Durham told council members the street
department has been cleaning years of sediment from ditches along
city streets and widening creeks that carry rain water away from the
ditches. Unfortunately, the one area that also builds up over time is
the ground between the edge of a street or road and the ditch. A high
spot there can stop rain from running off a street and into the
ditch.
In these situations
the Bobcat will be used to scrape the dirt, along the street edge, to
allow rain water to run into the ditch. The brush can then be used to
remove loose dirt from the street.
Durham said he has
always tried to buy used equipment to save the city money, but this
type of equipment isn’t easily found on the used market. Out of
three bids the Bobcat, with the bucket and brush, was priced at
$67,810.00. But, it was not the low bid.
Since the city can’t
pay the entire amount now the purchase will have to be financed.
Durham explained that while all three offered financing Bobcat is the
only one that doesn’t charge interest on its four-year plan. Taking
that into account buying the Bobcat is cheaper. Durham told council
members the monthly payments will be divided two-thirds from the
street department and one-third from the parks department.
Durham added the
Bobcat will be used in the park as well. Because it’s smaller than
the tractor or trackhoe it will do less damage to park grounds and it
will fit into tighter places.
Also at the
February 25 meeting;
Ward-4
Council Member Melissa Ratliff submitted a letter of resignation,
“[E]ffective immediately.”
In the letter she
states, “My other commitments have become too great for me to be
able to fulfill the requirements of my position on the Alexander City
Council.”
(CORRECTION) Since
last summer Ratliff has been working part-time at city hall mainly to
organize the thousands of files. Now that she is no longer a member
of the council she will be working with JoAn Churchill learning the
bookkeeping system.
Mayor Mitchell said
someone has already shown an interest in filling the position. Anyone
who is a registered voter and lives in Ward-4 (see map) should send
their resume to:
Mayor Paul Mitchell
P O. Box 610
Alexander, AR
72002-0610.
The expected
annexation vote, mentioned in the article announcing Monday night’s
meeting, probably won’t occur until March. Saline County did
approve allowing a parcel of land next to Ample Storage, along
Highway 5, to be annexed into the city. Mayor Mitchell said the city
must wait 30 days before annexing the property.
(CORRECTION)
Planning
Commission Chairman Michael Huck told council members the commission
can now proceed with the next step in approving the new subdivision
rules and regulations. He said the city attorney, Pat Marshall, has
given her approval on the language of the new regulations.
The next
meeting of the Alexander city council is March 18. The meeting is at
6 PM and is held in the courtroom at city hall. The public is invited
to attend.