City Council - Regular Meeting

Sounds like they were fairly pleased. Yeah, they were they were pretty happy. And there was a whole pile of them in there. So, yeah. Well, they did send the crew, didn't they? They had a whole They had a whole pile of them. It's a tiny little building in there for all of us in there. Me and Raymond, too. We were all in there crowded and and you know, uh they're like auditors. When they come out, they're going to find something because that's what they're paid to do. So, I was I was pleased that those are relatively minor things. Mhm. And Dale has told me he's going to do a letter and give them the response they need. So, that that's good. Questions of base, comments. Do you have anything else? That's all I got for you. Cut you off.

That's all I got for you. All right. Thank you, buddy. Appreciate it. Oh, let me say one thing. I think it's time in those folks in the next couple months start talking about rein. I'll get with you. Yeah, Dale's contract expire with us expires June 30. So, we need to next month or two take a look at that and see if we can get him locked in. Uh, as you've already seen tonight and most people here know, sewer is pretty important. So, uh, I don't want to go like these folks, uh, citywide without sewer. We need to have somebody taken care of. All right. Uh, police report. I saw the chief come in. Come on in. Come on up, chief.

Does anybody have anything for me? Is this the same man that used to give us 20 20 minute reports? I'm trying to change. Have you been Have you been cloned? Yes, sir. Anybody got any comments, questions? I had someone brag uh uh on the department this afternoon. I returned the call. She had two issues. The first was one she got a ticket about. She didn't feel like she should have, but she paid it. And the second thing she bragged about whatever it was y'all did for her. So, uh, on a separate issue. Yes. So, he said, she said, "I felt like

if something good happened, somebody ought to be told." I said, "Well, I'll pass it along." Thank you. And I'm having a senior moment right now. Remember what it was? And I talked to a few hours. That's okay. Couple weeks, you'll remember. Sorry. Anybody got any questions? All right, let's get you back over and sit down for uh Chief Han, fire report. How you doing, buddy?

Good. Good. Everyone should have got a uh report for our end of year uh 530 calls uh we responded to last year. Uh in regards to the warm-in shelter that was brought up. Uh we don't have any that I know of here local, but I know the county EMA uh does have some set up at the fairgrounds. They're be open this weekend. So, um, that is a resource if any of our community needs that. I believe I saw that, I believe. So, I don't remember. I wouldn't,

right? I I couldn't remember. I looked it up and then I forgot again. So, Qar, that's that sounds right. I uh received a call from David Miller with ISO, the insurance services office. Uh so he scheduled a meeting with us for our evaluation which is coming up in uh March. So So they're back. They are back. They are back. So we uh we've got to test a few hydrants and gather some paperwork for them and told them it's probably the most ideal time of year for flowing hydrants, but when it warms up, we'll get them taken care of.

Tell everybody here, if you don't mind, what our ISO rating is. Uh we are a five right now. That's pretty good for it. It is. It uh goes from one to to 10. One being the uh best and uh 10 being almost non-existent. And there's only a handful um in the state that I know of that's a one. So that's a pretty good accomplishment for Watertown for sure. And the beneficial effect of that is your home insurance.

That is correct. it it affects the um commercial and and residential uh insurance rates. So as the uh rate becomes better, the uh rates on the insurance becomes better also. They uh they evaluate us on our uh capability. So, it's a a rating that um looks at our water system, our 911 system. Um a lot of those things are uh out of our control. That it's the uh 911 uh center up in Lebanon. Uh they look at our training, call responses, things like that. So, so to be volunteer, that's actually a pretty good number.

It is. It is because the response time plays into

Right. It does. And and like I said, there's a lot of things that's that uh is in our control and some things are rated that that are not. I mean, um as far as a brand new water system or, you know, 911's capabilities or things that we could do. Uh so to have that rating is is good for us. the uh I like it and he's been doing this several years where they give us the yearly report and you you know we hear monthly where they've done 35 or 40 or 45 you don't think but when you look at it and see 500 and something over the course of the year that's more than one a day obviously

they do a lot of things and doing them well so I'm always glad to get this and I'm always glad to share it with my friends to count Yes sir because they need to We take care of ourselves. Yes, sir. All right. Any questions, comments? All right. Thank you, Chief. Thank y'all.

Let me Yeah, go ahead and sit down if you don't mind. Let me say something to all of y'all while you're over there. Bob and Cody and and Chief Han and Chief Hinderite. if this if we get this ice or whatever they're talking about or if it gets really cold like they're talking about, y'all check on people and and that doesn't bother me at all. Somebody says, you know, that you're out running around, check on them. Uh the elderly or people that've got small kids, um don't let their eat go out, get them somewhere and don't let them go without food. We need to buy something. We just we don't want to be in the paper. Uh, what I mean by that is something bad. I don't mean I I don't want to read about somebody freezing to death if we can if we can help. So, I know you guys will. I know you're public service, community spirited, but uh, watchful, please. I don't think anybody around this table would disagree with that. So, okay. Well, we're ready for parks and recreation. Where's Tunk?

You got it. I got it. He's what? It's on him tonight. Yeah, he can have it. He can have it. How are y'all tonight?

Good. So, uh, last meeting I was asked about the lights for the big field. I reached back out to the guy that I spoke to trying to get estimates and quotes and ideas and he thought he done was what I thought he would. I haven't heard back from him. So, I'm going to have to reach back out and try to go a different route, find someone else, uh, and get a quote that way. As far as bill three, uh, we're still working on the lights for it. Uh, Spec Electric is trying to get to us still, but they're still wrapped up. Uh, if push comes to shove, uh, we done spoke to them. I'm uh going to give them a hand by going over and trying to help bar up what we can and getting it ready to go. Uh games for practices for Friday night and for Saturday have been cancelled due to the potential of welder weather. That way we don't get anybody out hurt or take a chance on getting hurt. So that's where we're at. Baseball softball signets are out. Uh that's currently underway. We look to having drafts uh week in March before spring break for schools. So that's where we're at on this.

There's light at the end of the tunnel and six weeks away. Six weeks away. What was our final count of basketball participants and teams? Uh I let Jeff and his family handle the basketball side of it. I can answer that. 600 kids, 58 teams, five gymnasiums, Southside Tuckers, three here. And Jeff said we were having 30 to 32 games of Saturday. Yeah. And he had to referee eight of them Saturday before last. He run from gym to gym that Saturday. He did. And there a lot of kids out playing ball. That's good news.

It is. And the folks that have joined in from Southside and Tucker seem pleased with they have the way we do things here. Especially when they come down here and play against some of our teams. They're they're really pleased. Yeah, it's good. And all you folks, business folks that sponsor it, we appreciate you. And uh you keeping kids doing something and potentially keeping away from doing something they ain't supposed to do. So that's good. Any other questions? Jonathan. All right. So, let it warm up. Let's play back. I'm waiting on him. Thanks.

See you. All right, Chris. I know you're back there over at the podium. I can't see you, but I know you back.

Uh, good evening everybody. Uh, nothing really major being the beginning of the year. Our first board meeting is next week, so don't have a whole lot from last month. We got uh I mentioned last time two things we're going to start working on this year. Just having some train greeters and things like that just to try to really start hosting the trains uh in a better light. And uh we're going to start working on some pop-up museum opportunities where we use the building kind of as it is. Tennessee Central is going to get us some museum items and just do some uh things like that. So as train people come and kind of start introducing the whole concept kind of thing. So, um, and then, uh, when we did our main announcement back in September, uh, we' sent out a press release, got some good press there, and we'll have some more coming along. Uh, Ken Beck, which some of you may know, writes for the Wilson Post. He's doing an article, I think, this week. It's going to go in this weekend about the museum and turntable and steam engine coming and just kind of the the growing railroad presence in Watertown. So, so I think that'll be good. We'll probably see some of those pop up over the next year as we continue to do some press things. Uh, two requests. Uh, talking with Tennessee Central just because it's technically city property. Um, they would like to see if we can and and Marttown Railroad and Tennessee Central would take care of it, but just permission from the city on the sidewalk where the train loads and unloads. um is if we could get kind of a white stripe in there of some sort, kind of like you would see on a subway platform or something like that. Just kind of starting to think towards a steam engine arrival and things like that, creating some safety things. Um so they feel like that's something they've kind of wanted to do. It just helps, you know, because people are often waiting when the train pulls back in to load and people are kind of pressing up. So they feel like that would help with this be a safety thing. And the other thing along with that is at the end of the sidewalk, the loading area, they'd love to just

get a sign up there that says, you know, no access past this, you know, point. Again, they'd take care of the sign and we'll work together and get get it all done and taken care of. We just want to make sure that's okay if if we do those things on the city property. And if we would need some help or a signed post or something, we could, you know, get with the fellas. And there's my sign crew back there. Y'all can y'all help with that stripe and everything? Yes. Yeah. I mean, we'll figure out who's actually going to physically do it, but we'll we'll take care of it. If we need help, we'll just mark all Oh, okay. Yeah. Okay. All right.

You're about to do something like a subway. Boy, we big time. Yep. We'll call it an L like Chicago. It's above ground. So, if that's all right on the city property, obviously before we did any of that, wanted to get permission. Other than that, we're excited about the upcoming year and all that's coming and turntable and steam engine guys are plugging along. So, it's going to be exciting. Anything else? All right. Awesome. Yeah. I mean, yeah. I don't know if it was a Tell him. All right. Somebody make that motion. Okay. Is there a second? I'll second.

Discussion. All in favor say I. I. Awesome. Great. Thank you. I appreciate it. Thanks. Appreciate what you've done. Absolutely.

Uh, okay. Let's get in. That's all the reports. Let's get in some old business. Let me give you a budget report first. The uh the budget report that I get for the end of the year, December 31st, we just got today. So, I hadn't had a chance to go into it in depth. The budget committee, uh, Vice Mayor Casey and Council Person Chromemer and I are going to meet, what do we say, February 4, and take a look at it and see if we can squeeze some stuff out of it. Uh, but I will tell you on the general fund right now, the gap between revenues and expenditures has closed somewhat. We are now we have spent more $70,000 more than we've taken in, but we still don't have our January and February property taxes, which are the big months. So, I think we'll get back on top of that. Uh, anticipating that. Our parks and recreation fund is uh a little over $7,600 to the good. That doesn't sound like a lot of money, but when you figure out that our whole budget's only about 100,000, that's pretty good cuz we run all of our programs, as Jonathan has mentioned, baseball and Jeff with basketball, we run everything off of uh user fees and well, not really user fees, concessions and sponsorships. So, that's pretty good. And then uh our parks uh excuse me, water and sewer, we are $127,000 to the good, which is what we need to be because with that big big debt payment coming up in May. So, uh we can get on top of the general fund, maybe we can start looking at some other things. Uh any I'm not I always put on there possible budget amendments, but I don't have any tonight. Anybody have any questions about what I said? look at

that and let me know if you do. I'm going to do some uh some reviewing of those numbers and make sure things are in the right place. So, uh we're getting fair reading. Um let me do a couple of things that I don't think will take very long. We authorized or all of us authorized last month spending $3,800 for a utility building to store parks and recreation equipment. Jeff bought that for $3,400 and he asked if he could take the $400 difference and use it on gravel to build it up and give it a good base. And so we wouldn't have to wait. I went ahead and and told him to do that. I hope y'all will back me up on that. If not, I'm in trouble. Yeah, it's too bad, right, Steve?

That's as far as putting a utility. You got you got to have foundation under work. Yeah, that's what he was thinking. So, hope y'all are okay with that. Um Laura, you any on your events committee? You got anything to report? I'm sorry. We have our first meeting on Tuesday. Okay. Weather permitting. Okay.

But I talked to every all the residents and I think everyone's glad to have a uniform group so that we can each group can excel in what they do and not stepping on each other's toes or over overstepping. So we're excited about that. And we did start a community calendar. Okay. So every president uh you all the council members got a calendar uh invite CO.

So that is hopefully we can grow that to more of even having our schools involved. But we thought we'd start small right now and just so we can work out any geeks that need working out. But once again that's so we can plan. We don't have two things going on. you know, if the fire hall is getting together, the fish fry, then we're like, "Hey, let's piggy back on that. Maybe the police want to do something that same day or things like that." All right. So, you'll have a report next month. Yes, sir.

Okay. Thank you. Uh, all right. On the projects we've got going, we we're going to talk sewer, but water right now is these projects, as far as I know, are ongoing. I hadn't heard anything different. uh turntable. Vice Mayor Casey and I've got a meeting with everybody else from the federal government and our engineer and architect uh in February 11th or 19th, the Thursday after our February.

Okay. So, uh we'll have we'll have a report. We're hopeful and we've been kind of led to believe that that will be the last meeting that the federal government will be involved in that they'll turn us loose to start bidding the project designing and bidding. So hopefully that's going to happen. Uh and of course street paving just can't do anything to uh till we get done. But uh I will say this, if we get what they're saying, our streets are going to be in terrible, even more terrible condition. And I don't know what to do about it until we can figure out how to get them paved. And we'll start to work on that a little later in spring and summer about how to fund that. But let's talk sewer. Uh talked to Steve Jones this afternoon uh about and I know you you're behind. I'm not here to brow bait you, but uh um tell me about what you see happening and how quickly I brought a little letter. I usually shoot from the from the hip, but I did a little letter just to explain a little bit. And of course, when I got here, I forgot my glasses. Then I was thankful that Dollar General didn't look like Kroger did in Lebanon that I was able to go get some.

It did about lunch today. I had a hard time finding you brought that up. I do want to brag on Dollar General. Our manager has got some extra people just to make sure that we are taken care of. So when they run out, they're restocking like she's thinking about our community. So kudos to them for that. I went in there today at lunch. I saw people I'd never seen in there before cuz she has

they getting pretty rough down there in Lebanon. They fighting over milk and bread and parking spots. Well, our chief was down there today, but I think he's getting a hot dog security detail. Gas. Oh, okay.

Hey, thank thank you, Mayor Jennings, and council members. Allow me to speak. I am Brian Conrad, the owner of Conrad Construction. I would like to explain where we uh how we got to where we are on the sewer project. First of all, I'd like to see if has anybody here been on the jobs to see what we're actually doing. Uh a job this magnitude. I am passing some pictures around a little bit what we're kind of doing. But our time really was only was given 365 days of contract. can really uh you time you take the weekends off and uh time you get the submitts in the materials made you're only looking at a 9-month job. Now um we have had a lot of unavoable delays throughout the 9 months weather rain temperature freezings waterline relocation and also the easement pertaining to the hall property. The notice to proceed was May 1st, 2024. The hall easement wasn't agreed to the second time until October 29th of 2024. The waterline approval and completed was October 4th, 2024 to May 9th, 2025. Uh also that we were talking about on the properties on west side of commerce, we are providing stubouts for the future problems these houses may occur because they're all going through each other's yards. That wasn't even in our contract to do. Um, also since September 22, 2025 when we sent a time extension letter in to uh from that time to January 21st, 2026, we've had 32 days of rain and 38 days of below freezing. Even on days when it's not raining, there are still issues that why we can't work just from the previous rainfalls.

Uh it overloads the system. The sewer line infiltration is just overwhelming. Um we were told commerce was the most important to get off of. It's my most important to get off of. So we right now we're focusing everybody. I've got eight guys on the job every day trying to do what we can to get off commerce. Uh commerce is a onelane road. We all know that. We all we're laying sewer right up the middle of the street. We're tying over the houses. It's onto the creek side. So really the the sewer coming out of the houses are two foot deep going to 12 foot deep. I'm getting down to the end though, so bear with me. Um in the contract book it does show supplementary conditions, time for completion, liquidated damages. Basically says that the contractor shall neglect, fail, or refuse to complete the work. As everybody knows, that's not Conrad's shape. Note unusual severe weather. Also, in the standard general conditions, item602, consistent failure to perform work again has never been an issue or the case with Conra Construction. Also in the standard general conditions, item 1802, comput of time explains what delays, what days of the years are excluded. Um, I tell my guys, I've been telling them this for several months, but they moving like molasses in mid January, and the only thing is changing on that, the course is the month. But getting back to Commerce Road, I'm looking about another month on that road. We lack about 100t of main line, but I also lack two services going to the last two homes, and those services are over 100 ft a piece, probably 120 ft. Um, like I say, we are focusing on Commerce Road to get out of Commerce

Road. And uh, when we got the other side of the hill done, we had to shut down cuz we want to get some type of pavement established before we jumped on the other side of the hill and started tearing it up. But if you go over and look, Bob can tell you and even Cody, I mean, and of course the property owners can tell you, it looks like a bomb went off because really it, pardon the French, it looks, I mean, we're we're doing a major uh job for you guys. It's something we're used to and we don't never have. Time is never on our side on anything far as beating on a rock. My dad's favorite saying is, "Well, you will you mean it tore up? Did you hit a rock with it?" Well, that's what we do for a living is beat and bang on a rock. So, we are having every intentions to get this done with the letter extension that we had the first time. It put it in May is what we were shooting for. Of course, here we are going to miss about a whole week's weather

because of what we got. But my guys are out there every day, we're getting it. It just ain't to my satisfaction or to your guys' satisfaction. But long as my guys get to come home and we can have another day at work tomorrow, that's what we're going to strive for. And that's the main thing. I wish it was going better, but this job with all the subs we had on it, plus what we had to do on it, it's a it's a huge job and something you guys ain't familiar with, but you know, where I work at Lemon, they do a lot more and they offer a lot more because they're able to, but not all my jobs go good. That's just part of my life and what I deal with every day. Getting parts for these machines are getting worse and worse. So I um getting back to what she was asking about how much longer on commerce. I'm hoping another month we'll be off where we can get some type of asphalt down and when spring hits we can be ready to overlay the whole road and be nice and be done.

Well, I appreciate you coming in. I appreciate you giving all that information. Um you've answered a lot of the questions I was going to ask you, but I was going to ask that you focus on commerce. Yeah. If we can get out of there, people will feel a lot better. They they've been and and Yeah. We got a lot of rock in Watertown. And and and I'm going to say something, it's not the right word, but they've been inconvenienced a long time. Yes, sir. If we can get them back uh and get that street paved, then we can look. And the other concern I have, Brian, very frankly, is

we get in the spring, it starts raining, you got some work to do in the creek. Are you going to be able to get in there and get it done? As long as rain ain't forecast every day. As long as I have an opportunity where I've got decent weather. Cuz when I crossed it last time, it rained the next day when I was in that creek. Okay. So, that's part of the A- RAP. You got to have a few days of weather to where you can get in there and get out of there. And last thing we need to do is knock out the pump station or something because of something we did in the creek. Okay. the uh well I I knew next four, five, six days you ain't going to be able to do anything. Yeah.

And uh hopefully the weather will break where you can. Steve and I talked this afternoon and what we thought we would do was before the next meeting all sit down and see how much progress you've made. All right. And what you're looking at for the next month after that so we can hopefully get these folks some some relief. And I I know it's a big inconvenience. I knew it was going to be since day one. It's the biggest job it's ever been and there's been a lot of patience out there on commerce. So, I appreciate, you know, not just the council, but also the property owners out there, too. A lot of been good to us and few of them had a few words with us, but we we we were nice and went on.

You you got that one uh that one rock that runs all the way from one end of the county. It's just one rock, what Eddie always said. Yeah. Okay. Anybody got any questions for Brian? I do. Actually, I know you've crossed the creek down at the pump station. Yes, sir. How many more creek crossings are left? Two more. That's what I thought we had a total of three. One behind Bob's shop and one's at the end behind the last uh the last building over by in the field by the post office come across. Okay. Thank you. Good questions. Other questions? Here's the man's got the answers. So

I mean it it was I mean you figured Wilson County is going to have rock. Wasn't that figured in when you started? Oh yeah. Every job I do is rock. But I try to shoot for 40 or 50 ft a day. But when I ain't getting about 10 or 15 ft a day that's overwhelming which it's not because it's just it's a it's a little bit of everything. And when you know, like I said, the water line took time when we had to redo it, go through the state, that shut me down because I was right there at it. We didn't know it till we almost dug it into the road. Other questions?

Plus putting the services out, you know, that wasn't part of my contract. So, and and I honor the same price just to get it done because the last thing I want to do is you have to go back dig that road up and put those in when it was so deep. We should have done it the first time. But see that takes time. Let me ask you another question. You going to finish in the money? Oh, I'll be we'll be under budget. Yes, sir. You got to be. Yeah. No, I know that. And that's what all these changes that we do. Yeah.

You know, and even the council knows the price I give that's not I don't do that. And I did that just because I'm trying to help you guys stay in that. And that's where I'm coming back asking for a little more time. see try to work out a little bit where we all can have something to be appreciative of. Well, this this is good. What you told us tonight is good and I appreciate that. And we'll we'll meet again about 3 weeks and see where we are and then after that we'll probably take it a month at a time.

Well, I'm always on TV land even though I'm not here, but I enjoy watching it and and I always listen to see how many rocks I get thrown at me during the interview. Yeah, we try not to throw too many rocks cuz a lot of times they'll throw them back at you. Try not to do that. But anything I can do from now on, let me know be more than happy to. And appreciate you guys letting us do the job. We're going to get it done and and once it's all said and done, y'all can work on some paving then. Well, let me let me tell you since I asked you if you finishing the money, let me tell you what's out there that you got left. I can about tell you. What do you think it is? 1.9. No. 1,494,252.30.

That wasn't far off from 5.7, was it? Or 5.4. Yeah. And and the good news for us, the decision y'all made to invest the loan proceeds in the local government investment pool have earned us $185,836.30 in interest. So that that was a good investment. And uh so that is good. Yeah. This delay is not going to eat into that, is it? Or what happened? This delay that we're running going to run into. Not into ours. It might into his a little bit. He said he just said that you were honoring the price no matter what.

Oh yeah. It's not It's going to be We're going to be under the budget anyway for the job. That's what he said. Give us grace on the weather. He's given us grace on the price. You said that. Oh, well, it's for like the add-ons. It wasn't part of the contract. So, we already got three things. You going was going to open cut Main Street and then we decided to try to bore it. So, we're doing that the same price to where we don't have to tear the road up and also do the re relocation of water line and also all the services. So, that's things somebody could have took advantage of. We we're not those people to do that. We're trying to get it done and help out the city. Appreciate that.

Oh, yeah. Thank you. Yep. Steve Jones would have been here tonight. He asked me if I wanted him to come and I said, "Well, it's not required or whatever, but he said that uh I'm sure he won't mind me saying this." His wife had given him a list of things that need to get done before snow got there. And he needed to do that tonight. So, said that's fine. We're all kind of familiar with that stuff.

All right. Uh that's a rundown on our on our projects. Anybody got any questions about that? Okay, let me go through uh well, we've actually only got one more one more item of new business and that is um we have a board of zone appeals here. We have a planning commission, five member planning commission, five member, excuse me, three member boards on appeals. Uh John Juul serves on both of those. John is uh medically unable right now to to meet. We anticipate him being back. The planning commission has four members without John and we'll be able to conduct our business. the borders on appeals without John leads us to two. And uh in talking to Christopher Lawless who does our planning, Christopher told me the other day that we can appoint an alternate to serve in John's place or anybody else if they have to be out. So uh I've asked Drew Hearing if he would serve and he has agreed to do so. Uh, actually the text he sent seemed to be kind of excited about it and uh, so I appreciate that. And the the way that works is I have to nominate somebody and y'all have to confirm them. So I will nominate Drew Hearing to be our alternate board of zoning appeals member and hope that y'all will confirm him because we have a meeting on February 2nd. So we'll meet him. I'll make a motion to I'll make a motion to have Drew serve as the alternate on the board of science committee.

That's correct. Got a motion and a second. You know, you don't get too many people that volunteer for these highpaying jobs like we had that don't pay anything. So, if you got a man or a woman that wants to work, you better lock them in as quick as you can. So, all in favor say I.

I. All right. I appreciate that. Um, we are meeting tonight because of my schedule. Um, I had a county commission meeting Tuesday night. I have the same issue in February because the third Monday is a holiday. It's President's Day. Uh, those of us like Hal and myself old enough to remember when President's Day was Abraham Lincoln on the 12th and George Washington on the 22nd or vice versa. But the government got smart. Yeah. Not a word you hear much and I say it facitiously but combined them on the one day so they could get a holiday. Long story short, I'm going to have the same issue on that Tuesday night after that. So I'd like to meet on that Thursday the 19th if we could if that would work for y'all schedule.

Everybody okay on that? when that will actually put us meeting after the last Christian meeting. Yeah, I think it's that day. Yes. 11 o'clock that morning. Yeah. All right. So, we'll set our next meeting on the 19th. While while I'm thinking about it, u Mike Stopples here. He does a really good job of keeping our stuff out there on the internet. We appreciate that. We'll get that word out there. I'm sure he'll get it out there.

Yes, sir. I do have someone over in TV land asking uh the small cutthrough road from Elm Avenue to Commerce has really bad holes and people are cutting over into this person's yard. Uh they are asking if the city or Conrad would be the ones to take care of this. What do they want us to do? Uh I'm assuming uh deal with the holes. you know, put some cones or something out to keep them out of the yard. That is the entirety of the comment. I'm sorry. That's that's all the comment says. Okay,

we had barriers up in his yard and around his yard right there for Mr. Conrad moved his machinery up. We took those barriers down. Okay. So, I mean, commerce is not possible with him where he's at right now. Now, he's talking about where the split road is when you go up. Yeah. Is the corner lot right there where you can turn on and then go up. Yeah. Now I can put cones out right there at the end. Yeah. But you can run over. Well, I know. I know. Put the fence back up. She's Well, let's put something Let's put something out there and see how it works.

Cuz I've still got all the stuff there in his yard. We just took it up and Mr. Conrad moved his equipment. Okay. All right. Is it just about home? That's awesome. Yeah. Right in the middle that that because Elm is now having to be travel instead of commerce. Yeah. So where we live, we now have to like go through the square, go down Elm, and then double back. Yeah. And there's a little tiny connector road that has huge potholes in it that your car falls off in as you try to get up commerce. It would patch Ipass the holes. By the holes with the cold weather, you know, that cold cold mix we use. Yeah. Once rain water gets underneath it, it pops it right back up. And we can't get hot mix now cuz the plants are closed.

We can't get in probably till the spring time. And I've still got whole patch at the shop. Let's put some more in there. Yeah, once it warms up a little bit where I can get the stick in there. I'll put some more. That's what she's asked. She just texted and said just patch it or something so that they will stay out of the yard. Cones do not work. Okay. Because they got to have somewhere to go. I agree. Yeah, but we do need to stay out of there. And it's just getting so much more traffic than usual. All right, let's patch it and if it comes out in four or five days, patch it again till we're All right, that that take care of everybody out in Always.

I'm I'm glad you uh you got our attention. Okay, so we talked about the 19th. Uh all right, we'll go around the table. Miss Hyperl, you're first. Um, oh, just about we need to make So, now that we've got the QR code for Everbridge, it's ready to go. We just need to get it printed um and hung on business windows so everybody can click on that and get signed into Everbridge. That's that texting. Yeah. Used to be Nixl. We have um we have a QR code that everybody can just scan and get signed up for that and that puts you into the program.

You'll receive somebody's not very astute on these types of things. Can we get it in the paper? Can we put the QR code in the paper with the little write up on I have maybe Michael Sorry, Mr. Michael can put it in the put on the website and just Yes. Heather Butler. um is the one that did up the write up it. Yeah, the mockup and um Yes, that's what she was talking about. You want to send it to me and put it on your website too just a separate page for it. It's already on the website that you

put on there. Okay. So, do we need to do anything or not? Mm- I just wanted to let you know that we just need to get some stuff printed to put in windows and stuff. Yeah, I was going to say do I mean are we you're talking about printing up like some cardboard something signs something more substantial than paper, right? So it will last longer to put in Yes. I mean how many are we talking? I don't know. Just enough around the I don't know enough around this. Maybe we usually do about a dozen for the chamber posters and stuff. Okay. So you're talking about a dozen posters. Yeah. Okay. That's it. So, how much would that would Wendy budget for that? And she said you have all of the

She said you have all the sizes and stuff already. So, she emails it to me. Okay. You need an email. So, can we make a motion that we can purchase 10 of those signs? I'll volunteer. We won't follow motion. Okay, there we go. All right, we'll get it done. Easy enough. Good. Um, that's all I got. I actually And you're going to get the newspaper. Mhm. I can do that. Thank you. Yep.

I actually went back yesterday. don't I'm not real sure I got a good explanation for it, but I read the last two and a half years of the minutes of this city council, not the you know the fluff, but when we actually did something and that was in there and I wondered yesterday, April, while I was reading that, I I thought I just missed it. Um, but you know, in reading those minutes, we've done a lot here the last two and a half years. We've done a lot a lot in the police department. Really have stepped up our game and uh we I'm proud of that. So, I'm glad to hear that.

Proud of y'all. Good group to work with. Caleb Cal, what about the 911 button? Do you need anything?

I'm still waiting on AT&T to get back with me. Uh I I guess that they don't know what original old landlines were because they said it wasn't their system, but it was their system. Uh but she said she should have something back in the next couple weeks. Um and for you that don't know is the panic buttons outside. Uh there's supposed to be two. There's really only one. I think that when they cut all the wires from from your side, it doesn't mean you did. But when the wires were cut, that was cut. Well, there's a lot of people that drive up and EMS, you know, all the doors are locked. My door is not locked, but they'll come in there and we can't get a hold of them cuz we can't get in their side of the building. So, we have to end up calling dispatch or, you know, 911. Hey, can you send somebody and we used to have a call button that you just pushed and it dialed automatically. You can speak on that speaker that's out in front of the police department. It's in between us and EMS. That's what he's talking about. Okay.

And you know, hopefully it'll be just minimal cost because it's really not a sophisticated all the the the program and all the cores there just having some kind of router at the end of it to to displace that copper when they push it. That's what he's talking about. I think we could use some of the other stuff that's already there if they'll just tie it into it. But if they don't run on the new phone line, but their secondary line, I looked at all the stuff the tube, it's all still partially there. All they'd have to do is literally run their box. Yeah. Terminate at the end or come out here. Yes, sir.

If you can't get them up, call me again. I'll call Jeffrey and see if you can get a hold of them. Yes, sir. Any ideas? Thank you, sir. Miss Laura, I don't have anything. I just want to tell you guys thank you. And I know these next few days are going to be rough. The other night, I saw Cody early in the morning. Cody and Bob out there on the woodland. It was cold and they're out there and they're laying on the ground and these next few days aren't going to be great. So, thank you for what y'all do for us. Three meetings in a row. You had

I'm getting ready. Stephen, now um I've only got one thing. I've had two different people ask me about this. Um long term, we're trying to figure out what they're they're asking what we're going to do with the old city hall on the square and specifically and u Chief Han had mentioned this and I got a call from someone in the community about this because apparently we folks had mentioned something to them. Would we have the option of moving the old is it a 65 66 Ford 67

67 the old equipment that we have that's just used for it's historical we don't even use it in a do we occasionally use in a parade it's it's working on my thought with that was to utilize that bay almost uh as a museum if we have train days or whatever we could do a little plaque about it open the door and let them look at it and still be part of the community. Still be right there on the square, open up a little space,

but basically get it get it out of the WEMA building over here and give us more space over here and utilize potentially utilize that space. Now, my only concern with that is the Roundlick has been doing their oil change services for the community out of that bay. Yeah. But I don't know if they're still doing that or I don't know either. Anybody know or if if if they want to continue that, could we on the Saturdays they want to do that, could we possibly pull the fire truck out and park it on the square? I mean, I don't know. I It was I've had two, like I said, I had

uh Chief Han said something to me and then another person in the community said something to me this past week. So, I wanted to bring that up. Somebody say something to me about it, too. Um, we need to find out about the uh oil change. Did you say No, I was going to say we need to um have a a little electrical party there before we get really excited about putting stuff in it. There are some things that need to be tidied up. Check first.

Well, but it sounds like a good idea. in Iowa water playing ball tonight somewhere. I got a reason for asking it. I usually see Alex Piery at the ball game when I'm there. Alex would know that. So I get a chance I'll ask tomorrow night game. So tonight yeah if y'all if y'all seen Alex or anybody I guess others from around L but I think Alex is still chairman of the deacon. Okay, that's good. And and a followup to that, have we made any progress with the trash and upstairs in that building?

We took some of it out, but we have nowhere to dump it. We have to have a dumpster to go in there and take it out cuz everything black. I mean, it made one of my workers sick, you know, over the period of time it was back up in there. But we did get most of it dripped out and it's all it's basically just the back room now that we've got clean out. But we'll have to have a dumpster to put everything in. Can you do a little research and get us a price next month on a dumpster? Or can we use the dump? Is the dump truck big enough? Dump truck's not big.

I hauled it in it last time, but I have nowhere to haul it to. Okay. So, I need a physical dumpster, which there's a Mr. Brown that I know of. And I know his brakes last year was $78 $800 for his dumpsters. And that's a 20 to 30 yard dumpster. And pretty good size. You know, it would fit in the alley back there. So, we're going to need a pretty good size to clean the rest of it out. There still is a lot of stuff, not including all the electronical stuff that's in the front room that we've saved up there. So, but what y'all if y'all can give me a dumpster or I'll find y'all a dumpster, I'll be more than happy to clean it out.

I think Tennessee roll off, they I think that was the name of it. They were real good with the mileong yard sale about donating and helping Watertown. They said they love to help out especially small communities. Yeah. I don't know what their prices will be. I put his sign on the top here. Yeah. Yeah. If you'll follow up with that one, that'd be great. Yes, sir. Uh I have a new member of historic water town that just moved to town. He has a small dumpster business. He might be interested. He's very interested in helping out community and they just moved in right back up road.

Okay. But he he has his own small dumpster business as well. Okay. Somebody raised their hand over here. I was just going to say Lee Bond has come downstairs, too. Okay. Okay. All right. Is that it, Hal? Glad to have Hal back. I hope he doesn't mind saying, but Hal's How's had some medical issues and they've overhauled him and he's good for another 100,000 miles. 13 years.

Yep. Yep. Glad glad he's uh glad he's back healthy. All right. Get the top cleaned out. Are we on boarding back in that place or how we Well, we're going to have to talk about how what needs to be done over there. Obviously, the mold, the electric, and all of that stuff. But I personally, I think that building ought to see. I think we can find uses for it. when they take the windows off and they build it in the building.

And that may not be a bad thing to harshly get done before they're digging around themselves just so they don't I mean I like around they're big whole houses and stuff the way that things done. They could probably just do it upstairs and seal it off. hose systems in the truck pumps the stuff in. You can't be around it. It's not good either. It kills all the bad stuff. So, but then would we have to go back in after the stuff? Well, it's kind of like um you know, they do like falling for like remove everything. Would we need to go back in?

I don't know. You have to do it again. We probably do the spray bleaching and stuff after that, but I think it's pretty good killing overall seeds in all the areas, but we'd have to talk to neighbors and stuff, too. It's going to be a little interesting.

I think they'll what I said about staying with the city. I think there'll always be a use for the for the bottom floor um for office space or or chamber space or historic water town space or whatever. The upstairs is more of a challenge because there's no fire escape. There's only one way in and out. So, it's probably destined for storage

unless somebody wants to make a major investment in that. and uh fix them a way in and out. But uh we can always use the storage. But that bottom and it has bottom has a lot of history to it. Um there used to be a jail there. I started to ask is that is this still back there? No, I think somebody told me I hadn't talked to him. Somebody told me that when they took those bars out and cut them up that Mike Hunter got some of them. But you know they uh I can remember as a boy that jail back there. Yeah,

it was back there. And uh I don't know if we had any dangerous criminals or anything in there. We probably had more of the Otis of Mayberry type criminal. Uh but uh that that building's got some history in it. So don't hold the too many criminals. The one we had back there is one the criminal police took fires and took it apart out. They walked out of there pretty easy.

Like I said, it's kind of like Otis. They checked in, decided whenever he'd leave, they left. So anyway, we got any other business before we start telling stories here? It'll get rough. Y'all know I like to talk history. Anybody? All right, I'll take a motion. All right, we're out of here. Appreciate your