REGULAR MEETING

                                        8/06/07                                     

 

THE GRAND JUNCTION BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN MET ON 8/06/2007. PRESENT WERE MAYOR CURTIS LANE,  ALDERMEN JOHN BARRY, FRANK BELL, CHERYL SMITH, AND JERRY SMITH.  ABSENT WERE NICK EDWARDS AND PERRY LANE.  AFTER THE ROLL CALL AND PRAYER, THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER.  MINUTES OF THE JULY MEETING WERE READ AND APPROVED. BILLS PAYABLE WERE APPROVED ON A MOTION MADE BY BARRY AND SECONDED BY FRANK BELL.

 

DEPARTMENT REPORTS:

 

WATER/SEWER:

MAYOR LANE COMMENDED THE WATER DEPT. ON A 100 RATING ON WATER.

FRANKLIN STANFORD – THE WATER TAP AT THE NEW BANK WILL BE COMPLETED TOMORROW.  STANFORD WILL ATTEND A CROSS-CONNECTION SCHOOL NEXT WEEK.

 

FIRE DEPT.:

JERRY SMITH – MIKE AND LORIE RICE AND RAY AND CHERYL SMITH WILL HOST AN APPRECIATION DINNER FOR FIREMEN AND POLICEMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES AT THE RICE HOME ON SEPT. 8. 

THE DEPT HAD 4 CALLS, INCLUDING 2 STRUCTURE FIRES FOR THE PAST MONTH.

ALL HOMEOWNERS SHOULD HAVE HOUSE NUMBERS VISIBLE FROM THE STREET AND AT LEAST 3” HIGH.  IF THEY DO NOT, THEY MAY BE FINED.  SMITH WILL FOLLOW UP ON THAT GETTING THAT POLICY IMPLEMENTED.

 

POLICE DEPT.:

PAT RYAN – ROUTINE

 

LIBRARY:

SHARON NORRIS – TOLD OF INCREASED USE OF THE LIBRARY.  THEY WILL SOON RECEIVE 2 NEW COMPUTERS THROUGH THE GATES GRANT, FOR A TOTAL OF SIX COMPUTERS.  SHE TOLD OF VARIOUS EVENTS THAT THE LIBRARY HAS SPONSORED AND MORE THAT ARE PLANNED.

 

ALDERMEN REPORTS:

 

EVENTS:

CHERYL SMITH – WHEN ASKED BY THE MAYOR IF THERE WILL BE A FALL YARD SALE AND A CHRISTMAS PARADE, SHE SAID SHE WOULD HAVE TO SEE IF SHE COULD FIND ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS TO HELP.

 

PARKS:

FRANK BELL – THE PLAYGROUND NEEDS MORE MULCH. A NEW GROUP CALLING ITSELF FRIENDS OF THE PARK WILL SOLICIT HELP TO SPREAD THE MULCH, ETC. 

MAYOR LANE SAID THAT HE IS WORKING ON A $5,000 GRANT.

 

OLD BUSINESS:

 

MOTION BY JERRY SMITH, SECONDED BY BELL, TO ACCEPT ON THE SECOND READING THE CURFEW ORDINANCE.  PASSED WITH NO OPPOSITION ON A ROLL CALL VOTE. 

 

MOTION BY CHERYL SMITH TO ACCEPT ON THE SECOND READING THE PIT BULL ORDINANCE.  PASSED WITH NO OPPOSITION ON A ROLL CALL VOTE. 

 

MAYOR LANE TOLD THE BOARD THAT HE IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH DAVID SMITH OF THE BIRD DOG MUSEUM ABOUT THEIR SIGN.  THE CITY WILL APPROVE IT BEFORE IT IS INSTALLED.

 

NEW BUSINESS:

MOTION BY BARRY, SECONDED BY BELL,  TO APPROVE THE CERTIFIED TAX RATE OF .74 FOR HARDEMAN COUNTY AND .82 FOR FAYETTE COUNTY RESIDENTS OF GRAND JUNCTION.  PASSED WITH NO OPPOSITION ON A ROLL CALL VOTE.

 

MAYOR LANE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD A PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 07-08.  THE BUDGET SHOWS NO TAX INCREASE, BUT IT DOES INCLUDE A 10% INCREASE IN THE WATER BILLS. 

 

IN ORDER TO MAKE THE BUDGET BALANCE, THE PROJECTED POLICE EXPENSES HAVE BEEN REDUCED BY $30,000.  AFTER 9/14 THERE WILL BE ONLY TWO FULL-TIME OFFICERS AND ONE RESERVE.  ONLY THE CHIEF AND ASST. CHIEF WILL DRIVE CITY CARS TO BOLIVAR EACH DAY.  FILLING ONE PART-TIME SLOT WILL BE CONSIDERED LATER.

 

MOTION BY BARRY TO ACCEPT THE PROPOSED BUDGET ON THE FIRST READING, SECONDED BY BELL.  THE MOTION PASSED WITH NO OPPOSITION ON A ROLL CALL VOTE.

 

THE 2ND READING OF THE BUDGET WILL BE ON 8/13 AND THE THIRD AND FINAL READING WILL BE ON 8/23.  THERE WILL BE A NOTICE IN THE NEWSPAPER OF THE THIRD READING. THE BUDGET MAY BE VIEWED AT CITY HALL.

 

MAYOR LANE ANNOUNCED THAT SURPLUS PROPERTY MAY BE VIEWED FROM 8/22/07 THROUGH 8/31/07.  SEALED BIDS WILL BE OPENED AT THE SEPTEMBER MEETING ON 9/10/07.  THE PROPERTY MUST BE REDEEMED BY 9/14/07.

 

MAYOR LANE ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT LETTERS WILL BE SENT TO ALL RESIDENTS INFORMING THEM TO CALL THE HARDEMAN COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPT. IF THEY NEED A POLICEMAN.

 

MOTION BY BARRY THAT BOB DOLL BE ENGAGED TO AUDIT THE TOWN’S FINANCES FOR FISCAL YEAR 07-08, SECONDED BY CHERYL SMITH. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH NO OPPOSITION.

 

 CITIZEN CONCERNS:

 

DAVID VINYARD:  MAY THE RURITAN CLUB USE THE OLD GIN SITE FOR THEIR ANNUAL FISH FRY ON OCT. 6? 

 

MOTION BY BELL THAT THE RURITANS BE ALLOWED TO USE THE SITE, SECONDED BY JERRY SMITH.  THE MOTION PASSED WITH NO OPPOSITION ON A VOICE VOTE.

 

 

SHARON NORRIS:  MAY CITIZENS INSTALL A SEPARATE TAP FOR IRRIGATION AND NOT HAVE SEWER FEES CHARGED ON THAT BILL?  MAYOR LANE SAID THERE WILL NEED TO BE SOME FURTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE THAT IS APPROVED.

 

LEW NORRIS:  IS ANYTHING BEING DONE ABOUT YARDS THAT NEED MOWING AND CLEANING UP?  MAYOR LANE SAID THAT ACTION IS BEING TAKEN.  SOME ABSENTEE HOMEOWNERS ARE TAKING STEPS TO IMPROVE THEIR PROPERTY.  OTHER PROPERTIES WILL BE MOWED AND BILLED TO THE OWNERS.  THE RAILROAD CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM.

 

IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION FROM LEW NORRIS ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH BOTH RAILROAD CROSSINGS BEING BLOCKED AT THE SAME TIME, MAYOR LANE SAID HE WOULD NEED DATES AND TIMES IN ORDER TO COMPLAIN TO THE RAILROAD.

 

SARAH MAYFIELD:  IS THERE ANY PROGRESS ON LOCATING A CONVENIENCE CENTER IN THE GRAND JUNCTION AREA? MAYOR LANE PROMISED TO FIND OUT.

 

THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED.

 

 

 

MAYOR                                                                                                                                                                    RECORDER