DECATUR - Decatur City Council heard complaints from residents at its May 6 meeting in council chambers.
Cheryl Vaughn, a longtime resident of Jo Avenue, expressed concern over the speed limit on her street, saying she has almost been hit several times by motorists speeding there. The posted limit is 25 miles per hour, but she said she sees cars exceeding that limit.
Vaughn expressed her concerns to Police Chief Terry Luker. Luker said he did not catch anyone speeding when he and his officers set up a speed net.
Both Vaughn and Luker, along with Decatur Mayor Charles Linam, said they thought the offenders were coming from the Head Start school.
Putting in a speed bump was discussed and quickly dismissed. Lowering the speed limit, was recommended and an ordinance lowering the speed limit on Jo Avenue to 10 mph. will be brought back at the June meeting for final approval.
Faye Gilbert raised a sewage issue with the city, saying she has a spring-fed pond on her 80-acre property on Spring Street which is being contaminated by raw sewage from the city’s sewer system. At times, she said, the sewage is backing up into her home, as well as other structures in the area.
Councilmen Bob Tharp asked James Boston, director of public works, for a solution to this problem.
Boston suggested replacing the line and adding a manhole cover. He also suggested replacing the existing lines in the affected area with a larger-diameter pipe and a lift station. The cost would be around $30,000.
The city council asked Boston to take care of this matter as soon as possible.
Mayor Charles Linam said he has been in contact with a property owner on Burden Street concerning purchasing the land for a new park. The tract of land runs form Hill Ave. to Burden. The price is $33,000. Linam suggested applying for a $45,000 grant to build a small park in the area. The matter was referred to the parks and planning committees for further study.
In committee reports, Boston said he found a 1955 high-interest bond which the city is still paying off. He suggested that the city cash in one of the $100,000 waterworks certificates of deposit to pay off this bond and to fund the sewer line replacement on Spring Ave. Leftover funds would be returned to another CD. After a brief discussion, the council approved the suggested payoff.
A pay raise for the mayor was briefly discussed and tabled.
The next regular meeting of the Decatur City Council will be at 6 p.m., June 10, at city hall.
News, Pages 3 on 05/29/2013