Cloverdale Council makes adjustments to sewer project

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

CLOVERDALE -- Cloverdale did not receive a $1 million grant to go ahead with plans to improve the town's storm water sewer project, forcing the town to make plans to scale back.

Town Council President Cathy Tipton said the grant, which is going mainly toward improving Lift No. 4 in Cloverdale, has been scaled down $600,000 because the town needs to obtain additional information about the land via an archeological inspection before the application can be approved.

Tipton said with its concrete walls falling apart, Lift Station No. 4 is in desperate need of attention, although a new pump was installed three weeks ago.

"Every board before has looked into it. Clearly we don't have the money to do this on our own," Council Vice President Dennis Padgett said.

Engineering projects that were already planned will also have to be scaled back to fit in with the reduced budget, and land donations cannot be accepted as part of the grant, she said.

Town Attorney Allan Yackey said spending the $60,000, or the 10 percent match to the grant which is required of the town, is not a final commitment, rather it is just an indication to go forward with the project.

"We don't know what land we need to acquire and how long to go through a process to find out how much the land is worth," Yackey said.

The council voted to table the motion and to hire an archeological expert for the project because it was unsure of costs for the project. After Tipton obtains some estimates on dig, she said she plans to call a special meeting to come to a decision.

Tipton said she plans to send the application for approval during the last week of October, providing the "engineering project is successful and we don't find any bones," Tipton said.

Despite the reduced grant, with the town's spending freeze, Tipton remains optimistic about the future of the town's budget.

"We're trucking ahead and things are really getting done," Tipton said.

Tipton also signed an ordinance to up the limits on spending for the utility and police departments from $500 to $1,000. Per the ordinance, "Amounts over the sum of $1,000, per transaction will require the approval of either the Town Council or Utility Board."

All board members were in favor of the motion.

Tipton said this ordinance will help speed along smaller civic matters that need to be addressed because they won't have to wait to be approved at the monthly meeting.

Building inspector Mark Cassida also brought up concerns about the code violations of the Econolodge located on U.S. 231 South. He mentioned spongy cement, barbed wire sticking out of pavement, several rooms door opened and 4- to 6-foot pool remaining only half covered.

"We need to get something taken care of before someone gets hurt," he said.

Yackey advised Cassida to continue to make contact and to begin to enforce a $100 a day fine for however long the violations are not being fixed.

Cassida also made mention of other properties that needed to be improved, and Yackey gave him the same advice.

"You'll be running the copy machine on these violations, I think," Yackey said.

The board will have its first budget work session 7 p.m. Aug. 31, with a second hearing scheduled for Sept. 13. Tipton said the final budget submission is due Nov. 3.

The Town Council meets at 7 p.m. the second Tuesday of every month at Cloverdale's Town Hall.

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