By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
Grayson City Council held two special meetings last week. The first a special session on Tuesday to adopt a bonding resolution related to the city’s planned utility system upgrades, and the second a special meeting Wednesday evening to discuss the city’s regular business and agenda items.
The bonding issue, which passed on an aye vote by all present, is related to plans to update the city’s water system.
“We’re losing up to 40 percent of our water,” Mayor George Steele said during discussion of the measure. That’s a huge loss of revenue for the city, which must pump and treat more water to make up for the losses while still meeting customer needs.
This update, which will repair pipes, install new residential meters, and flow meters throughout the system which will help pin-point supply-side leaks for more efficient location and repair, will be financed through the sale of bonds, and should cost the city nothing in terms of payouts, Steele said. Instead, the $5 million project will be funded through bonding, and the recovery of revenue currently lost through leaks will fund the servicing.
Representatives with Integrity Water said they were trying to move as quickly as possible on the project now, because interest rates could change along with market conditions. But, as the company was “very conservative” with their initial quotes, they still believe they can deliver under budget.
Bond sales were tentatively scheduled to begin as soon as today, with the adoption of the resolution.
On Wednesday evening council heard updates on the Little Sandy Lane nuisance properties. While one of the property owners had made some modest efforts to clean up their property, code enforcement officer Joe Hammer said, the other two – including the property owner who failed to show up at the public hearing – had made significantly more progress. All the property owners, however, have the full two weeks to bring their property into compliance.
On the issue of compliance, council moved to send a formal letter to the residents at 501 Little Sandy Lane, ordering them to bring their pool into compliance with city ordinances. That means moving the pool from the front yard – where neighbors complain the above ground pool blocks clear views of the intersection – to the backyard and erecting another safety fence around it.
Councilman Troy Combs also inquired about a dog in the neighborhood that he worried was being kept in inhumane conditions, which included a chain that was too short to allow adequate range of movement. While there are currently no city ordinances related to the keeping of pet dogs, police chief Travis Steele told Combs that animal cruelty laws enacted at the state level apply no matter where one lives in Kentucky. Steele also told council he would have officers look into the conditions the animals were being kept in, to determine if they potentially violated state animal cruelty laws.
In other action council also moved to serve as a pass through on a Land and Water Conservation Grant for the Grayson Sports Park. Park manager Grant Harper told council he had applied for the maximum amount allowable – up to $250,000 – in hopes that the park could complete twice as many projects over the next year.
“We could double our budget if we get the full amount,” Harper said.
He explained that the grant, which he prepared and applied for with the assistance of FIVCO, requires a matching amount. But the park currently has $250,000 already available in their budget for the coming year’s projects.
Among the projects that could benefit from any increase in funding would be the walking trail system, including a bridge, around the park, a cover for the amphitheater, and community basketball courts. These are all items that are currently in the plans for the park, but the awarding of the grant could help the park realize the improvements more quickly.
Harper told council that the park is already booked for baseball, softball, and cross-country events over the coming season. Each of those events will bring people into Grayson who are expected to spend money in local restaurants, at local gas stations, and possibly stay at local hotels, during their visit.
He also said the park is also looking at playground expansions through a project with Pathways, and that the sprayground water play area should be open to children this summer.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
