Hope City Board Meeting

By Submitted, 10/3/18 10:08 AM

The Hope City Board met Tuesday October 2nd. The board was scheduled to hear a report on the Chamber of Commerce; however, Director Beckie Moore had a family matter and had asked if she could make her report at the next meeting.
The board heard a report from Sanitation Director Nathaniel Holyfield. He noted the department serves 502 commercial customers and 3,570 residential customers. Holyfield noted the department picks up residential trash on the north side of town on Tuesday and Friday and on the south side of town Monday and Thursday. He noted the department averages 396 cubic yards of commercial trash each week. Holyfield also talked about picking up limbs and rubbish and mosquito spraying. Holyfield said they spray for mosquitoes from March to as late as November. He noted counting himself the department has 8 employees. Board member Don Hall said the commercial driver, Thurman Dixon is one of the best in the state. Holyfield noted he has worked for the city for 31 years and has served as head of sanitation for ten years. He also gave a report on the sanitation equipment. He noted as far as goals go he would like to see the department get into recycling and to eventually get more into automated trucks. Holyfield said he had visited with Michelle Courtney at Rainbow of Challenges about recycling and she has put him in touch with people about the issue. The board lauded Holyfield and his department for a job well done.
The board looked at a proposal for landfill surveying and grading for the old “Area A” of the closed section of the landfill. The proposal was for $12,100 and the board accepted it.
The board looked at a proposal from Leola Graves for a new board member on the Housing Authority board. Executive Director Leola Graves has submitted the name of Sam Bradford. City Manager Catherine Cook noted Bradford lives outside the city but since the city has housing authority facilities outside of town in Emmet it would be permissible to allow Me. Bradford to be appointed to the board. The city board agreed to appoint Bradford to the Housing Authority board for five years. He will replace Bill Tolleson who asked to not be reaapointed.
The board looked at street milling services. The board has been unable to get a contractor to do the work. The board voted to waive competitive bidding on the work and to engage a milling company to do the work in the $13,000 to $14,000 range. The board did not hire a company but they expect to either use the Redstone or Cranford company. Cranford has a local asphalt plant.
Under the city manager’s report Catherine Cook noted the airport did not get a supplemental grant but has gotten funded for the half-million dollar funding for drainage work. Cook noted the city has a pre-construction conference in the rail spur work. She noted there was a derailment near Georgia Pacific on September 28th and it damaged the city rail spur and it will need to be fixed. The board also discussed a citywide tour of facilities for October 30th. The city now has the keys to the Kopecky house and the city Pavillion construction downtown was discussed. Mayor Steve Montgomery praised the Hope Bobcats on their win Friday and the meeting then adjourned.