Como council focus on repairs

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  • Councilmembers Austin Baxley (left) and Stephen Smith discuss schedulng a work session this week to review road repair needs and costs during Tuesday evening’s regular September session of the Como City Council. Staff photo by Jillian Smith
    Councilmembers Austin Baxley (left) and Stephen Smith discuss schedulng a work session this week to review road repair needs and costs during Tuesday evening’s regular September session of the Como City Council. Staff photo by Jillian Smith
  • Como council focus on repairs
    Como council focus on repairs
  • Como Mayor Jerry Radney (above) listens to Darris Cross (right) during Tuesday evening's city council meeting as Cross delivers a portion of the maintenance report and discusses needed repairs to the water wells and sewer systems. Much of the existing infrastructure is very much aged, and Cross said they are learning to work on them as they go. Staff photos by Jillian Smith
    Como Mayor Jerry Radney (above) listens to Darris Cross (right) during Tuesday evening's city council meeting as Cross delivers a portion of the maintenance report and discusses needed repairs to the water wells and sewer systems. Much of the existing infrastructure is very much aged, and Cross said they are learning to work on them as they go. Staff photos by Jillian Smith
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COMO—Councilman Stephen Smith proposed a workshop session to discuss road repairs at Tuesday’s regular meeting of the Como City Council at the municipal building on Mills Street, among other business.

Mayor Jerry Radney agreed.

“Basically what we need to do is talk about all the streets that are there and get [Councilman] Austin [Baxley] up to date on that to make sure we plan to follow through on what the city had already approved,” said Radney.

The budget for the repairs also needed reviewing, the council agreed.

The workshop is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10.

Radney emphasized, “There are some things in the works. We are working on trying to get some road repair done, especially the spots that are really bad. … We have some streets that are completely gone. … At least get the ditches done to keep the water away from the roads,” and explained that culverts were in need of flushing and ditches needed either to be created or dug deeper to keep the roads from flooding. “Some of the streets have collapsed and water just runs right on top of them,” he said.

Radney said he had been in contact with Hopkins County Commissioner of Pct. 2 Greg Anglin, as well as other county officials, for help both with labor and use of machinery to make the jobs easier.

The fire department offered their trucks to help flush the culverts, as all the trucks are currently in service.

“It would be quicker with a fire truck,” Radney said.

Como resident Paul Sonntag also offered his time and labor to get the work done.

“If I can be any kind of help, I’m certainly willing to,” said Sonntag.

“I wish we had a lot more people in our city would step up and say that would help with things,” Radney said.

The city did report that pot holes on several streets had been repaired in August, and brush had been cleared from unspecified roads and the railroad.

INFRASTRUCTURE & MAINTENANCE

Darris Cross presented the maintenance report, stating well one is in the process of receiving repairs.

“We got the motor being fixed,” Cross said, “ and we got the pump motor on there. They did the work to cap off the other one. Hopefully, the water will be testing better.”

Repairs at the sewer plant, he said, are progressing, but parts “are dated from before our time. We’re fixing them. We’re learning as we’re fixing them.”

Water meters are also being replaced as new ones are available. Cross cited problems with older meters included repeat readings each month, therefore showing no water usage for that month.

One pump at the water treatment plant is having the motor replaced, said Director of Water Operations Craig Vaughn.

“As soon as we get the motor back and get it back physically where we can flush it and so forth, we will then pursue bringing it back on-line. …I’m hoping that that will take care of a lot of things,” said Vaughn. “There are some issues with the [base of the] other pump. The [part] is cracked and will need to be replaced at some point in the future.”

An effluent pump at the waste water plant, one that pumps water from the plant to the discharge port, is out.

“That needs to be addressed at some point in time, and that’s one of the pumps we’re going to bring before you tonight as far as a possibility of replacing it at some point in the future,” Vaughn said.

The pump, he said, would cost about $2,700.

“My feeling on that is to get that pump done,” Radney said.

The pump that is currently in use, Vaughn explained, “is doing a good job. It’s not really showing any problems, but it could go out tomorrow.”

Because there are only two pumps and only one is in service, Vaughn said he is concerned that there is no back-up in case of an outage.

“The theory is that if the pump goes down, we’re dead in the water,” he said.

Additionally, to fully repair the inoperable pump, an electrical panel will have to be replaced, as well. Vaughn said that he had not yet priced its replacement but that the one there “is old and outdated.”

“Council is on board with getting the pump,” Radney said. “We need to know what the rest [of the cost] of it would be. Our sewer line can’t do that [go down]. I’ve been there before, and I don’t ever want to go down that road again. …That was the worst thing I’ve ever dealt with in my life. I lost hair and aged.”

Purchasing the pump now would allow maintenance to get the pump back on line with hours should a problem arise with the current one. As of the meeting, the city of Como did not have a back-up part if the current pump goes out.

The council unanimously approved the purchase of a new pump and resolved to discuss the purchase of the needed additional parts once estimates are provided by maintenance personnel.

Radney added he had been speaking with an engineer out of Longview regarding funding for improved infrastructure for the city of Como.

“They are working up some things for a meeting with us to talk about some grants, some possibilities to expand on the sewer plants, get us some water wells. There’s a pretty good substantial chance, because of our populations and median income, that we could qualify for pretty large sums. …It wouldn’t be enough to cover the well, but they also have a subsidy loans from the government with 1% interest over a long period of time.” Radney said. “We want to get on some plans to actually make our infrastructure better, upgrade what’s been sitting here for so long.”

According to Radney, the Longview-based engineer informed him that while 20 years ago a new well could be drilled for around $200,000, today that same well would cost a minimum of half-a-million dollars.

OTHER BUSINESS

Tuesday evening’s meeting included approval a resolution to authorize Radney to act as the city’s executive officer and authorized representative in all matters pertaining to the city’s participation in the Texas Community Development Block Grant Program. Former Mayor Darla Henry previously held the position.

A motion to remove Henry from city and fire department accounts was made and seconded, as well as the removal of former Chief Andy Lowen, and the addition of Mayor Radney and Councilman Stephen Smith to those accounts.

The city adopted a tax rate of 3.96628%, a rollback on the current rate of 4.05112%, the voter approval rate for 2019. Loss of sales tax due to COVID-19, increased property taxes and other factors contribute to the rollback to keep it from exceeding the voter approval rate, according to City Secretary Mary Doss.

Having discussed earlier in the week with Darrel Meeks his appointment as acting fire chief of the Como Fire Department, the council formally approved Meeks’ interim position.

Also on the agenda was the introduction of Hopkins County Fire Chief Andy Endlsey; however, he was not present at the meeting.