Marc Maxwell presented the following monthly city manager’s report to Sulphur Springs City Council during their regular meeting Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021:
COVID-19 RESPONSE – The number of active cases in Hopkins County increased 219% since our last meeting with 373 active cases as of Sept. 2. There are 25 patients in the COVID unit at the hospital, up from 17 last month.
GRAYS BUILDING –The building is completed.
SENIOR CITIZENS BUILDING – We are waiting for the steel market to normalize.
SAPUTO SEWER MAIN – This project is nearing completion. The Capital Construction Division has completed its work on the project. I expect the contractor to bore under Interstate 30 and to connect to the existing system this month. This will complete the project.
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 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. ]
COLLEGE STREET – This will be the next reconstruction project. You will consider a bid on water main materials later on the agenda. We already have sewer main materials.
CLAIMS – We did not have any workers compensation claims or liability claims in August.
REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES – Finance Director Lesa Smith will present a report of revenues and expenditures and the status of water accounts in arrears.
RUNWAY/TAXIWAY REHAB – This $1.9 mil project is in progress; 90% of the project cost is covered by a TxDOT grant. The project is approximately 33% complete, and we expect the contractor to finish by mid-November.
All the concrete and asphalt surfaces on the operations side are being completely rehabilitated and the ramp is being significantly enlarged.
STREET IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM – Progress resumed in August. The contractor, Texana Land and Asphalt, plans to be completed by September 30. The following highlighted streets have been completed:
Miscellaneous
Elsewhere around the city, employees:
- Checked out 3,174 items from the library plus 825 eBooks.
- Produced treated wastewater effluent with a total average suspended solids reading of .29 mg/L
- Installed new LED fixtures in parking lots and along pathways at Coleman Park
- Set timers on school zone lights to run from 7:15 a.m. to 8:05 a.m. and 3:25 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Performed inspection/preventative maintenance on:
- PD roof drains
- PD windows
- Exterior Library lights
- City Hall fountain
- City Hall elevator
- Airport Terminal
- Animal Shelter
- Performed repairs on 2 dump trucks in the wastewater division.
- Place sod around the new Grays building.
- Removed utilities from old Grays building in preparation for demolition.
- Continued making minor improvements at the wastewater treatment plant.
- Treated 187 tons of sludge at the compost facility and sent 160 tons of sludge to the landfill.
- Repaired 12 water main ruptures.
- Replaced 8 water meters.
- Unstopped 17 sewer mains.
- Treated 173 million gallons of potable water.
- Responded to 186 calls for animal control and achieved an 89% adoption rate.
- Responded to 2,130 calls, responded to 35 accidents, wrote 481 citations, recorded 32 offenses, and made 39 arrests in the Patrol Division.
- Made 3 felony arrests in the Special Crimes Unit.
- Responded to 278 fire/rescue calls including 3 structure fires.
- Performed 15 fire inspections and pre-fire plans.
- Performed preventative maintenance on 79 fire hydrants.
- Conducted 20 building inspections, 12 electrical inspections, 15 plumbing inspections, 5 mechanical inspections and issued 25 building permits.
- Patched 228 potholes.
- Replaced 1 stop sign.
- Hauled street sweeping spoils to the landfill.
- Placed rock for fish habitat in Coleman Lake.
- Made 8 extensive street repairs following utility repairs.
- Replaced sidewalk in the 200 block of Church Street.
- Cleaned out multiple ditches and storm drains.
