Health, Welfare & Recreation Committee - Regular Meeting

green up there. Yeah. All right. I want to call this order this uh meeting to order. This is our monthly health, welfare, recreation committee meeting. It's August 28, 2025 at 6 PM. And I want to call this meeting to order. First of all, we'll take the role. We have Mr. Miller here, Jackie Duncan here, Mr. Morris here, myself, and we have uh Rosanne Carden. She's delivering a vehicle.

She's running late or may not be here tonight. So, um, everybody look at your agenda. Anything we need to uh to add, we can we can do that. New business. May we have anything? Motion. Motion to approve. I second the agenda. Motion by Jackie Duncan approved. Second by Mr. Morris. All in favor of approval of the agenda. Eyes. All right. If you would on the back page, your minutes are posted there. So, make a motion. A motion by

Dwight Miller. Second by Jackie Duncan. All in favor of approval of the minutes. have that. So down the list, any public comments? We can uh we can save we can save yours and we can do it under Tim's rule water. So nobody having nothing. We'll go down to our unfinished business and we'll go to 6A which would be Tim Morris with our rule water update. Okay. Uh I spoke with Mr. Jeff Perry and I'm trying to find this email right now. Uh, you want to come to the table? I had to search him.

Uh, he got me a price for J Sarton Road for a 6-in pipe and 4in pipe. Trying to figure out a way to uh come up with

getting J Sart Road. If I pull it up, I left it in the bus. Okay. And the 6-in pipe, from best I remember, it was $73,000 to do the pipe. And uh for u the 4-in pipe it was $33,000 and that was to run Jart Road. Now the big kicker on that was that Mr. Perry told me that Manchester would not put in the 4 inch water line. They wanted to request the 6-in water line and that was because of the continuing to make a loop in the in the water.

What was the price on the six? The six was 70 right at 73,000. Here it is. Maybe it'll open up on this. And I apologize. I had it run off and I had problems on the bus today. Okay. Total for the 6-in pipe is $71,000 and total for the 4 in is $34,000. They're not interested in running. That's going to make no difference then.

Well, true. Uh One of the things that I I wondered is if if the county could, you know, we paid for 4 inch line for other people, would the county pay for the 4 inch line and maybe somebody come up with a difference? U but I don't know if that's even feasible. So that's that's where he's where it's at right here with his quote and everything. So that's where I'm at with him. We've been back and forth. He told me that they did not want to run that 4 inch line down through there because it's joining 6 in on top and 4 in down here. But that's what he told me on on our conversation with the on the phone.

How many feet are we talking about? 3/4 of a mile. He wants to go all the way through and connect. He doesn't want to stop at the creek. It's been a problem all along. Yes. Manchester wants to improve their system. Yes. It needs to not just help them. Yeah. So 70, this 71,000 gets them all the way to they can hook in and get make a circle. Yes. Make a loop. Pressure loop. Did he mention fire hydrants? No, ma'am. Does Coffee County require fire hydrant? No, ma'am. It's just there for your ISO rating. Okay. And the more and the more it's like the house that burnt down by the lake two weeks ago. Mhm.

That fire hydrant that sits down on the causeway is the 4in water line. They could not I mean I mean that's fine with me. I just was curious. Did Cau County require fire hydrants? It does for new construction. If you're a developer, I think it does for that. But if you're a single homeowner, if you just go in and build your home on your farm or someplace, it does not. Okay. But if I go in to develop something, I have to provide the the fire hydrants. Don't you don't you think the neighbors down there would want to have some fire hydrants? Well, I'm sure they would. Yes, I definitely am sure of that. Roger. You know what? You know what the cost of a hydrant is now? Vivian 2 3,000. I think it's at least more than that just to buy. I want to say buy

I think years ago it was three to buy the you know thousand but we got to start someplace. I mean my road doesn't have one. I'm fighting for them one on my I don't have one on my road either. And I have 4 in pipes too. But did you need drinking water? They while you got it open, you think you put one in? Um, years ago when City Water came out in the county. I'm I'm assuming that was acquired by a grant. Yes. Who wrote the grant? County.

County did at the time. Yes, ma'am. Now, it's like our grant writer told me that because we're not the water entity, we can't qualify for water grants. Manchester City has to and Manchester City doesn't have a grant writer. They don't? No. I found that out today. Not yet, but I think they're getting one. They The position is open. Do you do think there's one coming? Yes. Yeah. It's a part-time position. Yes. I've been writing grants lately. Well, maybe I need to speak with you. I hear that. Oh, well, look at mine. Well, I know that they need to be somebody who's very good with verbal skills and and there is a grant terminology.

Yes. Uh I know our water tower out on Blanch Chapel Road was helped paid for and of course then we deeded that over to uh Manchester City. It became part of their system, but I know the county got part of that money back 10 years ago, I guess, when I was on the county commission. Do you know a Lori Fishiser? Lorie Fisher. The name is familiar, but Jeff Perry gave me that name today. Okay. As as a grant writer, but I I don't have any contacts. That's the woman from Winchester. I don't know. Do

you have to employee of the city to write grants for Manchester City or could you go outside the box and bring a grant in? I think you I think you have to be a writer for the city. Yeah. And you're not a writer for the city. I've been requested by the city to But I I think they're I think they're fixing to hire one in the next month or so to part time. But you don't know who it is. Are you not at liberty to say? No, I'm not at liberty to say. Okay. They will help out a lot. There's some money's out there that's possibly available. I I spoke

Yeah. I spoke with uh Mr. Andrew Miller today who was a utilities manager for region two. He mentioned the ARPA grant ARPA. Does anybody know anything about that? I think a lot of that that was like the co money I was going to say and a lot of that's already it's been committed uh by the county for different things the art money has okay where they've already appropriated the money because if not they were going to take it back right

like if you didn't have it appropriated by a certain time and I think it was last year year last year I think by the end of the fiscal year if you didn't have it appropriated they were going to call that by there were a lot of that's January I think a lot of the cities were sitting on money and it's been everybody got to move it then okay those projects can't be in the process of they have to be completed by a certain date okay so with Miss Pew's situation here would you go over that one more time explain that your 6 in pipe and the 6inch pipe explain it so everybody knows what's going on

get back to 6 in pipe with connections uh $71,000. Okay, that that's that's to run the whole road 4 inch pipe by his bid $34,000. I don't understand, but I guess it's the diameter of the thickness and that's that's just that's just the pipe. That's just the pipe and the city fittings and things along the thing. But the city of Manchester is willing to to run the to run it and it's threat. It's not a dead end. Yeah. It would make a pressure loop. That is good.

And you would have one highend coming off of 16th model coming down Ju Sarton that would meet Kathy Ridge at the bottom of the of the hollow. That's what I call it. Gotcha. Valley, whatever. Right there at the bottom of the lake. Yeah. And I know that they have already valved some of that off going up Lake Hills Road and at the top Morland Road. And I think that would help them because I think they valve it off up at Morland because it can't pump up Hill to where they use it to come around. So it would be advantageous for them to finish it. Yes.

So I I think what we need to do Miss Pew's been you've been this been going on for over a year, right? Oh, it's been going longer than long time. Probably closer to five or six.

We we we've talked about this before. Now that we got some actual figures, I think we need to have a recommendation from this committee to be sent to budget and finance whether to do it or not to do it. We don't I don't think we need to keep stringing this out over and over and over. So, and my thing is and I let everybody speak on their be on their own behalf, but um we voted on this before six or eight months ago. We and I think we made a we had a recommendation to approve this, but then things changed and we didn't get all the numbers. So, we backed up and we reconsidered again, but we're back here again with this, you know, to get this done on our part would be $71,000. So, I'm gonna let each one of you speak. Dwight, you go ahead and speak your piece on this.

Well, I would really like to see them get that, but I'm still back to the problem I've got. I think it's starting another president that uh how we going to say the next one comes up wants the same thing. I don't think the county is in the business of water. Gotcha. Understand? But my only thing is on an argument back with it, we told them that we would do it. I agree. And I if I tell it didn't get passed. So we basically got Z vetoed, but it got it didn't get passed at budget finance. Right. That's right.

Where did this stop? It would come out of here between here and there when everybody wanted to change their boat. Well, when it got to $500 and something thousand and basically we're going to pay for all of it. Gotcha. It got out of hand. But we're but in consideration we're back at 71,000 on our side and I understand what you're talking about. Yeah. That's just unfortunately my thinking on the thing. Jackie, what do you what do you think? Or we're fix to call a vote in just a minute. Okay. any any questions you want to ask or where hint where you stand at on it?

I'm I'm kind of like Dwight is, you know, we I think we backed out of it. We we were all for it there one time and then found out the cost and then that we would have wanted to do it for everybody. I think that's where the it came in the the problem came in thoughts about it. I've said it before. I suggested at one point if it's whether Manchester or somebody else's water system, if we're going to help contribute to get it going, we ought to get some clawback. Yeah. When you start getting that revenue from those customers,

we ought to get a percentage above their cost. But with your conversation with Jeff, they don't seem like they're going to be interested in that. I don't think they're interested. Never have been. Right. Which I don't understand.

Well, I'm I'm going to make a motion. I'm going to make a motion that I'm trying to be fair to everybody. I make a motion that we entertain or we agree to pay up to $35,000 for 4in pipe. That's what everybody else got out in the area. Uh straight through J Sardon. It's going to connect down on Kathy Ridge to a 4 inch pipe. Up on top, it's a 6 inch. I don't know if they tell us no on that, but at least we're doing what's fair. Uh they put 4 inch line down my road. There's 4 inch down Oakill. There's 4 inch all out in the county that we've paid for. So, I'll make that in the form of a motion that we don't exceed $35,000 for 4in pipe and fittings for Jart Road.

But he he told you what he told you they was going to run. They want to do six inches. So, but I won't say what happens. Okay. Well, we we can always go up. Can't go that. Sounds reasonable. Anybody want to second that motion? Uh I think it sounds reasonable. I'll be I'll second it. Jackie Duncan second that motion. All in favor of that motion say I. I. Those opposed? Nay. Nay. So that recommendation passes 31 to be sent to budget. I guess the question is, Miss Pew, I'm

Is it is your group going to pay for the rest of it? You think they would? I don't I don't think that they can. That's what I was thinking. That and the fact that Manchester doesn't want it to begin with. I think we're just wasting time. But well, like we can't hit they can always consider it and then you know well that was part of my voting no and then if we if it comes back again hopefully we'll have Roseanne here and that would you know wouldn't make any difference. You got enough votes.

It's just a it is a mess. This was 40 years ago when they agreed to let all these entities in here. It's just become a damn mess for people who don't have water and for people I mean the house down by the lake it burnt gutted it. They didn't have enough water. They had to truck it in. You got a fire hydrant down there on the causeway sitting on a 4in water line. It's useless. It's there for shutter. That's all it was for. Would you fill that out and forward that motion on? So, you know, and like Oakill Road, they've worked on Oakill Road three times this past two weeks with water breaks. I don't know why. Can you connect a six? I don't guess you can because you lose pressure. What?

When you start digging up 4 inch line, you can't add six inch to it because you lose your pressure as they dig that broken pipe. It depends on what's causing the pressure. Okay. Well, what I'm saying is though, when the ground shifts and stuff and breaks that pipe when you just the fact that it's six and four probably won't change the But could you eventually go through there and replace it that way though? You could. Okay. I mean, it's not going to hurt us. There's a stamp next door. Yeah. I didn't stamp my stuff either. Actually, if you go from four to six and part of it Uhhuh.

you get rid of some of the friction loss so it flows better, but the pressure is typically because you've got an elevator tank or you've got a pump. Yeah. And say we have a small tank out at North Coffee and that's it. Yeah, it's tiny tank. It should be enough for the school. Well, Miss Pew, we we've done a little bit. So, I'm going to have to try to come up with the remainder. Well, in essence, that's Well, we don't really know yet that budget finance will do anything, right? I guess I better not get my cart,

but you you could certainly be asking if they're going to be able to try it. Yeah, you got the the guy that made the motion. It's on budget finance, so it it'll go over there. He just left there. So, do I need to come to that meeting, Tim? I will let you know. It'll be uh September the 25th. September 25th. Hey, that's going to be the night we're going to be back here again. That look right. So, if it passes budget and finance, you'll get $35,000 to pay for full range water lines, assuming it goes under full commission. Yeah. Yeah.

There's always one more step till it gets through the commission. Top right hand corner. Yeah. Is it the rate? Nothing. I started to say at the rate I'm going, everybody's going to be dead before I get I don't That's kind of ugly. It would uh if you ever sold your houses would be a big plus. Oh, the water. Yes. Well, but did u Kenneth McMahan Yeah, he bought that

bought Wat Property. Oh, the preacher. Young preacher. Did they sell their lot? Are they going someplace else in building? Who? Wat. No, the uh Oh, man. I see his face. His wife works for sh uh are you talking about John D? Yes. Did they sell their land or they My my son and my daughter-in-law own that now. Okay. Because they couldn't get water. Yeah. He got electricity. Yeah. But he he has a dry hole down there over 300 ft with no water. Okay. All right. Well, I will try. Thank you, M. Thank you. I'm sorry. Thank you. Well, we we'll keep plugging along. Yeah. I

All right. Moving right along to our unfinished business going be 6B. Animal control update. Craig, you got an update for us? Not really an update. Everything's the same. Let's get some numbers here. Is everybody looking at So, your vehicle's doing Yeah, we're supposed to be getting a new one, right?

Getting a new one. I don't know when, but our main truck now is over 200,000 miles on this. I'm sorry. And of course, our intake is still through the roof, so we're all stretched pretty thin and tired over there right now. It's transferred to rescue. Yeah, that's the ones that people from other places. That's the ones that are going to the rescue groups. Yeah. Coming to different groups out of state as well.

Yeah. Most of them had it. Oh, yeah. They're they're our saving grace right now. I mean, right. If it weren't wasn't for them, we'd be euthanizing lots of animals. I know they were very active in getting animals from down here. There was a chain that said from here to there and a lot of animals going up. I hadn't realized this many. What's tough is it it's slowing down right now. Yeah. The 20 the 23. Yes. Everything even go even the rescues everything is slowing down. It's there's more dogs than there is homes right now. the $23,000 that you've brought in since January 1st. Is that is that is that pretty normal? Is that up or down or

No, it's we've been increasing as far as that goes as we go along. We're building a pretty good program. It's just we're just covered up, you know. Facebook page is good, too. Yes. Yeah. Times are getting a little hard now, too, but people trying to feed themselves and taking on different another mouth to feed. You still having plenty of feed donated to you? Yeah, we we actually we got in a bind and but we're we're good now though. Got your straw built up for this coming winter trailer? We got a half a semi load still there. Wow.

Any questions for Craig on anything? Your loss rate looks real good. All right, Craig. Well, I guess there's one good thing. You've got less in the shelter than we've got in the jail.

Give us a quick update on the shelter out there since you've been going out there and checking on it. Just fill everybody in. the the last update we got out there, they had a hiccup with the the metal building company that they went with, but I think they've got that straightened out, but they did push everything back a little bit. So, last last I heard the the finish date they were looking in March now. So, is that hiccup mean we're getting what we asked for to begin with? Not really, but it's going to work though. It's It was just something to do with the porch how they were doing the the the front entrance.

Yes. Instead of tying on to the building which you would do and put two columns out, they've got four columns on the so it's basically standing on its own is the only hiccup they had. Looks like that would cost them less. Well, you got to wrap all those posts and so it adds a little bit of That's what I'm thinking though. It looks like tying it on one side and only two post Yeah. would have been cheaper for them. I think my understand what I was told is tying into that wall takes more more structure in there to and that that was saving them on that part. Okay.

I bet Terry Hman's on them big time. Yes. Yeah. But some concrete was actually poured today and every I mean everything

good. I think sewer's running. The water's good. Electricity sitting there waiting to be hooked up. All right, Greg, we appreciate any more questions for him. If not, we'll move on. Move on to our rule fire. We don't have anybody here tonight, but I've got a I'm going to do it for them. I got three of them tonight. They sent me in a kind of what they got going on. Summables doing their their annual picture drive. U go out and get your pictures made. is like a fundraiser. They have um their smoke alarm money that they got. They're using that money on payments for a new brush truck that they're getting out there. I don't know if it's a Dodge Ford or not, but they're they're getting a new truck. Uh and it's going to replace a 1978 model that they had. So, they're replacing they're using that money pretty widely. They're replacing a 78 model. and uh Michael, which is the assistant chief out there, he said he's got 20 members currently, 20 active members out there. It is a pretty good pretty good number for them. So that's a report from Sunville. Um North Coffee, um they're looking at buying a used tanker. I think their tankers are getting pretty old out there. Uh Craig and I think his assistants looking at going to New York to find upstate New York to find a um a pumper truck up there that they pretty interested in.

They go to Alabama. Get away. I've had a bus from up there.

And Craig said he's also um he's replaced uh two 40 year old garage doors at the station there. He's replaced that with the rails and the motors and all. He said that was a cost of $12,000. So, they're using their money pretty wisely. They're working on their infrastructure. And uh new union's purchasing a cascade system with their money that they've got. Um, Illan also wanted me to remind everybody they're having their annual breakfast in October. That's their big fundraiser. I think that's one of their I think that's their big one. I think they do pretty good at that. Food's great out there. I've tried it. It's great. Um, and he also wanted me to remind everybody with, you know, Halloween's coming up. They're going to do be doing trick-or- treat there at the station and they're going to have hot dogs for everybody. So Dylan also said uh they're real active in their smoke detector program out there and he said they've got they've got I think uh this month and last month I think they got uh five houses installed with smoke detectors. So good. They're doing good.

I hope people use that because that's free. It's a lifesaving thing that cost you nothing. It helps your real fire department. Just call your local fire department and ask and they'll come set up a time for you and they'll come put the smoke detectors in. That's right. And it's free. And the and the and the batteries last 10 years. So

yeah, if you don't mess with them now, if you mess with them damages them somehow. I did find that out. I' I'd like to say too that North Coffee has worked a fatality accident three nights ago at on the interstate and I know they had backup from y'all and everything and North Coffee also had a house fire there at the lake. It burnt and uh it's pretty neat to watch when you see other guys come. It's like family. Uh they had tankers and stuff coming pulling and stuff and that house reignited during the night and burnt more. uh not because of their efforts but because the way the house was structured and everything. And then when you look up and it was really neat too, the rescue squad was there coming in on that fire and stayed with them that night until they left

rehab rehabbing those guys and and feeding them and taking care of them. So yeah, that's a big that's a big deal. that, you know, I know that's quite a bit of money that we spend on them, but that $240,000 or two, that $260 that we using right now for them is a whole lot cheaper than spending a million or $2 million on a county owned fire department right now. And those guys are every one of them needs kudos because they're going into some place that Tim Morris couldn't do. I just couldn't do it. And and I very much appreciate everybody from Neil to Craig and all of them out there. Very much appreciate everybody. That's well said. They those guys do a good job.

Yeah, they do. They get their time away from their family for no pay and we should do as much as we can to help them out with their equipment and stuff. Yeah, that's what a lot of people forget. They don't get paid anything. And they leave their family

for us. I mean, you can't ask from much more than that. That's correct. All right, that's going to wind up our rule fire. Uh any new business that we need to take care of? Being none, let's go down to set our date for next month's and I would like to go I'd like to go September 25th at 6 o'clock right after we didn't find an answer. But got a little trend. I like it. And we get a lot of answers. So September 25th. Yeah. Let's go to the 25th. We're at 5:00 and then we're six.

So, next meeting will be September 25th at 6:00 right here. So, okay, that all being said, I entertain a motion to adjurnn. Motion to adjourn. Motion by Mr. Morris, second Dwight Miller. All in favor of adjournment. I have it. Thanks everyone for coming. See you next month. All right. You didn't hear anything about Hickerson having a razor fundraiser this Saturday, did you? Hickerson Fire Department. Yeah, I thought I heard something on the radio. Do you know anything about that?