City Manager Marc Maxwell made his report of previous month activity to the Sulphur Springs City Council Tuesday night during their regular May session. In his report he noted:
SUNSET STREET – We have begun designing the Sunset Street improvements. The project will include new water mains, new sewer mains and a new concrete street from Connally to Houston. The $275,000 CDBG grant is matched with $132,000 of city funding. We will submit construction drawings in June and begin work in the fall.
CANTEX FORCE MAIN – In April, staff began preparing the sealed bid packet for pipe and fittings for this project. This will be the final capital improvement project in the 2013-2017 C.I.P. It will replace 2,400 linear feet of aging sewer force main and 2,900 feet of gravity main. Currently the main passes through the middle of the hospital complex. This would be a nightmare if the main ever ruptures. The proposed route would go around the hospital complex rather than through it. One-third of the city’s sewage passes through this line.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN – I will propose the 2018-2022 Capital Improvement Plan at the June city council meeting.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT – The work at the wastewater treatment plant is on schedule. The three primary clarifier basins have been constructed, and the effluent troughs are now finished as well. Other concrete structures adjacent to the clarifiers are finished. Now all of the pumps and associated pipe works and wiring need to be constructed. I expect to bring the clarifiers online in July, weather permitting.
CROSSTOWN TRAIL – We have begun receiving reimbursements on this project from TxDOT. This grant-funded project will connect Buford Park to Coleman Park as well as the high school/civic center complex with a concrete path. It will also replace the sidewalk on the north side of Connally Street.
CLAIMS – We did not have any workers compensation claims or liability claims in April. We did, however, submit a claim to TML for damage to two police cars. Two vehicles collided causing $5,966 in total damages.
REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES – Finance Director Lesa Smith will not give a year-to-date report of revenues and expenditures since April concluded only yesterday.
H.O.M.E PROGRAM – We have three H.O.M.E projects ongoing. The H.O.M.E program replaces old dilapidated homes owned by low income persons with new homes.
Elsewhere around the city, employees:
- Sold 2,365 gallons of AvGas and 6,888 gallons of JetA fuel.
- Conducted 13 building inspections, 30 electrical inspections, 19 plumbing inspections, 7 mechanical inspections and issued 42 building permits.
- Repaired library lighting.
- Repaired Highway 11 lift station.
- Prepared the Celebration Fountain for the coming season.
- Supervised the replacement of three library air conditioning units.
- Rebuilt the Coleman Lake waterfall pump.
- Repaired 6 water main ruptures.
- Replaced 2 water meters.
- Treated wastewater effluent to a daily average total suspended solids reading of 1.48 mg/L.
- Unstopped 18 sewer mains.
- Repaired 11 sewer mains.
- Washed 75,000 feet of sewer mains.
- Flushed 35 dead-end water mains.
- Made 9 street repairs following utility repairs.
- Patched 71 potholes.
- Replaced 2 stop signs.
- Cleaned storm drains 2 times.
- Installed cemetery signs on Houston Street.
- Conducted spring clean-up, removing 80 40-yard containers of trash and much more green waste that will be burned this summer.
- Hosted the United States Police K-9 Association Region 20 trials. Our very own Buddy Williams and his dog Kilo won first place in narcotics.
- Made 61 arrests, wrote 528 citations, recorded 55 offenses, and responded to 36 accidents.
- Made 6 felony arrests in the special crimes.
- Responded to 147 fire rescue calls including 2 structure fires.
- Conducted 57 fire inspections and prepared 57 pre-fire plans.
- Performed preventative maintenance on 77 fire hydrants.
- Treated 125 million gallons of potable water.
- Checked out 2,655 items from the library and another 554 eBooks.
- Processed 528 tickets through municipal court.
- Responded to 197 animal control calls and achieved an adoption rate of 23%.
- Fertilized and aerated athletic fields.
Mowed Coleman Dam and around Coleman Lake.
