Sulphur Springs City Council received from City Manager Marc Maxwell the following monthly manager’s report during the May 4, 2021 council meeting:
COVID-19 RESPONSE
The number of active cases in Hopkins County decreased 82% since our last meeting with 27 active cases as of May 4th. There are 4 patients in the COVID unit at the hospital.
GRAYS BUILDING
The brick is installed. The walls are painted. The concrete floors are being polished. The large roll-up doors will be installed soon. Bathroom and kitchen fixtures will be installed soon. Outside concrete work will begin soon followed by landscaping. The Grays building will be open by Juneteenth.
During the meeting, Maxwell noted a dedication and plaque setting is tentatively set for the end of the month.
SENIOR CITIZENS BUILDING
Construction drawings are still being prepared by REES Associates. We have hired Tandem Consulting to oversee the construction just like the Grays Building.
SAPUTO SEWER MAIN
Construction is about 40% complete.
This $750,000 sewer project is funded entirely by a grant from the Texas Department of Agriculture.
The new main will supplement an older undersized main. The path of the new main begins at Saputo and continues under the interstate. It then continues South for 3,500 feet before connecting to an existing trunk line. The new main has a 15-inch diameter.
This grant is made possible because of a $50 million plant upgrade at Saputo and their cooperation with the Texas Department of Agriculture. Without their cooperation, this project would not have been possible.
STREET IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Staff has finalized the list of this year’s streets to be paved via the Street Improvement Program (SIP).
COLLEGE STREET
This will be the next reconstruction project after the Saputo Sewer Line Project.
CLAIMS
We did not have any workers compensation claims in April. We did receive a liability claim for damages incurred when one of our employees backed into another vehicle. There were no injuries.
REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES
Finance Director Lesa Smith will present a report of revenues and expenditures.
Elsewhere around the city, employees:
- Made 12 extensive street repairs following utility repairs.
- Repaired 137 potholes.
- Hauled street sweeping spoils to the landfill.
- Completed Spring Clean-Up with 74 40-yard roll-off containers hauled off and 819 vehicles served.
- Made curb and gutter repairs in preparation for the Street Improvement Program on Texas & Peach and Beckham & Beckworth.
- Planted spring flowers downtown.
- Prepared the fountain for operation.
- Repaired fences on ballfields.
- Prepared ball fields for youth leagues.
- Served 3,576 meals at the Senior Citizens Center.
- Responded to 169 animal control calls while achieving an 81% adoption rate.
- Made 12 felony arrests in the special crimes unit.
- Responded to 2,223 calls for police service, responded to 37 accidents, wrote 487 citations, recorded 50 offences made 60 arrests.
- Responded to 196 calls for fire/rescue including 4 structure fires and 1 vehicle fire.
- Performed preventative maintenance on 82 fire hydrants.
- Performed 40 fire inspections and reviewed 40 pre-fire plans.
- Sold 4,137 gallons of AvGas and 9,295 gallons of Jet A fuel.
- Accommodated 1,595 landings/takeoffs at the airport.
- Checked out 2,770 items from the library.
- Conducted 33 building inspections, 16 electrical inspections, 10 plumbing inspections, 6 mechanical inspections and issued 23 building permits.
- Installed two surge suppression modules at the wastewater treatment plant.
- Began maintenance on the Grays Building.
- Repaired the belt press at the wastewater treatment plant.
- Treated wastewater effluent to a daily average total suspended solids reading of .95 mg, a very, very good reading.
- Sent out 353 tons of sludge for composting and sent another 659 tons of sludge to the landfill.
- Repaired 8 water main ruptures.
- Replaced 15 water meters.
- Unstopped 44 sewer mains.
- Washed 80,000 feet of sewer mains.
- Flushed 36 dead-end water mains.
- Treated 137 million gallons of potable water
