Council approves additional water system renovations

The Level Plains City Council voted unanimously to move forward with water systems improvements to I Street during a regular meeting Dec. 18.

The repairs include adding new water meters to I Street, and will be funded through the $207,000 Community Development Block Grant the city received earlier this year.

The grant funding was originally allotted to make system improvements to A,B,C,D,E,F and G Streets, but because of excess funds, the council agreed to include I Street in the renovations.

Mayor Bruce Grantham said the bidding process could be skipped, and said Hilton Cooper Contracting Inc., the company making the current renovations, would also renovate the water system on I Street.

The council also approved $2,000 for repairs to waterlines on Ann Street.

According to Grantham, the 2.5-inch water lines are too close to the surface of the road.

The lines have burst on more than one occasion during road resurfacing in the past, which resulted in the disruption of some residents’ water service.

In other news, councilmen Ronnie Thompson and Philip Cole addressed the council on finding a new uniform service provider for the Level Plains Water Department.

The council approved a switch from G & K Services of Montgomery to Taylor Linen Service out of Andalusia.

According to Thompson and Cole, the change will save the city an estimated $35.42 per week, and, like G & K, Taylor will be providing and laundering the water department’s uniforms.

In other news, the council agreed to place a city-owned Ford F-250 back on govdeals.com.

The city attempted to sell the vehicle through the same website previously, but received a $750 offer against a $2,000 reserve price.

The council agreed to lower the reserve price to $1,500 and submit the vehicle for sale again as soon as possible.

The council also discussed the possibility of having open-forum, town-hall-style meetings during each quarter of 2013.

This would allow residents to voice their concerns to the council directly.

Grantham said the discussion on how and when the meetings would take place is just beginning, and added the council would be releasing details when they are available.

The Level Plains City Council wishes all residents a Merry Christmas, and will meet again at 6 p.m., Jan. 8 and 15, in the Level Plains Community Center.