The city needs 140 new residential customers to sign up for the city sewer system in order to get a $969,700 grant that will help pay for the sewer expansion. Roughly 66 customers have signed up now, but the city council is hoping to attract more customers by waving the tap and capacity fees for the first 140 new customers that sign up. The tap fee is $950 and the capacity fee is $630, which adds up to a total of $1,580.
City Manager Jane Richards updated the council on the clubhouse renovation project. "All the damage [from termites] has been torn out," Richards said. "And what we're going to do next is sheetrock the walls and the ceilings in the main area and the kitchen and bathroom." She described how both bathrooms needed renovation to be handicapped accessible.
"So we're going to have to move those [the sinks and toilets] and do some extra drain work," she said.
Additional improvements to the clubhouse will include a new set of kitchen cabinets and sinks.
Richards also updated the council on the Spring Fest preparations. Scheduled for April 21 at the city park, the festival will include a car show, live DJ and a number of vendors selling food, T-shirts and offering face painting. A flyer promoting the festival will appear on the back of water bills coming out this month.
Council member Lavonda Roberts asked the council to consider assisting council member Jimmy Bennett, who collects trash for the city, with rising fuel prices. The council decided to buy up to 50 gallons of fuel a month with the funds coming from the city's maintenance account.