City awarded grant
By PJ Martin
Editor
Edmonton Herald-News
The Edmonton City Council met for their regular in-person session on Monday, April 5. It was a short agenda and meeting.
Mayor Doug Smith announced that the city had been approved to receive the Land and Water Conservation Grant. The city will receive $66,852 of a 50/50 match grant which is to be used for shade cover over the bleachers and concrete pads under the bleachers at all the baseball fields and tennis courts. It will also be used for additional trash cans in the park.
Next, the second reading of Ordinance No. 2020-21-07 amending the water fund in the amount of $24,000 and Ordinance No. 2020-21-08 amending the gas fund in the amount of $24,000 were both approved. These amendments were necessary due to the emergency purchase of a dump bed truck in March. The purchase is divided equally between the gas department and the water department budgets.
Water, Sewer, and Gas Department
Public Works Supervisor Moe Hensley noted that in March the department had done 6 water taps, 3 gas taps, fixed 4 water leaks, performed maintenance repairs on 8 water meters and 1 gas meter, and 4 employees had completed their 6–hour continuous training, and began the gas leak survey.
“We had to do a lot of adjusting pressure on the lines [gas] because Texas Eastern…had some problems and we had to fight to keep gas going.”
Police Department
Chief of Police Delaney Wilson gave the March report of 82 traffic stops, 56 complaints answered, 14 arrests made, 36 citations written, 2 animal calls, 14 warrants served, 6 domestic calls, 4 non-injury accidents, 9 new investigations, 3 incomplete 911 call, 4 fights, 1 EPO, 2 drug-related, and 4 medical calls for a total of 237 responses.
ABC Report
Administrator Fred Ray presented the March report and stated that, “Through a corporate mistake, the Dollar Store run an ad in their insert on beer and they didn’t even have their license yet.” The Edmonton store did not, at that time, have beer or other alcohol in their store [March 3]. The Dollar General lawyers were contacted and made aware of city ordinances. The lawyer agreed to look at and correct future inserts.
Parks and Recreation Department
Director Brian Garrett reported that interviews had been held for a part-time employee and Ethan Steele had been hired for a 24 hours per week schedule.
Fire Department
Chief Jerry Clemmons was present but the March fire department report was not available.
Other Business
Councilmember Curt Estes communicated to the council that the question of selling the old tanker truck would be discussed at the next fire department meeting and he would bring the results back to the council.