Sulphur Springs City Council received from City Manager Marc Maxwell the following monthly manager’s report on during the Feb. 2, 2021 council meeting:
COVID-19 Response
The number of active cases in Hopkins County decreased 13% since our last meeting with a total of 120 active cases as of February 1, 2021. The is the second consecutive month of declining active cases. Last month active cases fell by 11%. The state has tested a total of 8,982 people at the Hopkins County testing site since this whole thing began. We have had 2,095 cumulative recoveries and 70 cumulative fatalities (40% increase from last month) in Hopkins County. The hospital had 14 patients in the COVID-19 unit (on Jan. 1) which is a 53% decrease from last month.
As a part of the City’s response to COVID-19 the City suspended the practice of cutting off water service for non-payment. Some of the balances are growing quite high. The total arrearage is $153,906 with 601 accounts (8.96% of all accounts) in arrears. The vaccines are beginning to roll out to the public, and we have had two consecutive months of declining total active cases. If total active cases decline again next month, I will propose requiring residents to pay their current bill along with 1/12th of their arrearage to avoid being cut off. In this way their accounts would be brought current in 12 months.
Grays Building
The framing is nearly completed, and the plumbing will be finished by the end of the week. Electrical rough-in is next followed by insulation and sheetrock.
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.
Woodlawn Street
The Capital Construction Division has completed the sewer main and the water main. They will be finished with curb and gutter improvements this week. Texana Land and Asphalt will then cement-stabilize the road base and pave the street with asphalt.
Saputo Sewer Main
Materials for the project have been ordered, and the project will get underway this month. 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 project after the Saputo Sewer Line Project. Elsewhere on the agenda is an item to approve a concrete crushing bid that will provide much of the road base for this project.
Claims
We did not have any workers compensation claims or liability claims in January. The City submitted a property claim for a police cruiser that was struck while parked and unoccupied.
Revenues and Expenditures
Finance Director Lesa Smith will present a report of revenues and expenditures.
Also Around The City
Elsewhere around the city, employees:
- Made extensive street repairs following utility repairs.
- Repaired 586 potholes in various locations.
- Replaced various STOP signs, school zone signs and speed limit signs.
- Installed 2 new sidewalks at the airport.
- Removed Christmas decorations and replaced downtown banners.
- Cleaned water wells on Veterans’ Memorial.
- Responded to 177 animal control calls and achieved a 97% adoption rate.
- Made 5 felony arrests in the Special Crimes Unit.
- Responded to 38 accidents, issued 532 citations, made 33 arrests and recorded 48 offences in the Patrol Division.
- Conducted 28 building inspections, 19 electrical inspections, 18 plumbing inspections, 6 mechanical inspections and issued 26 building permits.
- Sold 2,574 gallons of AvGas and 12,120 gallons of Jet A fuel.
- Checked out 2,809 items at the library, plus 741 eBooks.
- Responded to 249 fire/rescue calls including 3 structure fires and 5 vehicle fires.
- Performed preventative maintenance and testing on 80 fire hydrants.
- Installed large main door at Hanger #3 at the airport.
- Achieved monthly average total suspended solids reading of .76 mg/L at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, well with our limit of 15 mg/L.
- Repaired 12 ruptured water mains.
- Unstopped 51 sewer mains.
- Repaired 13 sewer mains.
- Washed 75,000 feet of sewer mains.
- Treated 127 million gallons of potable water.
