Council Talks Water Leaks
Anderson City Council discussed the possibility of using a thermal imaging system to identify water leaks throughout town during its regular meeting on Tuesday.
Mayor John Sellers explained that the temperature difference between the ground and the water make it easy to identify leaks with thermal imaging — in the summer and winter.
Public Works Director Ben Shoemaker reported 14 large leaks in the past month. Shoemaker said he spoke with a gentleman in town who owns a drone about using a thermal camera to identify leaks
from an aerial view. The gentleman is researching thermal cameras for drones and has found one for approximately $4,000.
Departmental
Reports
Police Chief Seth Daniels noted in his report that he is moving two part-time officers, Justin Mustain and Levi Martin, to full-time to fill vacancies. Daniels said the new patrol vehicle is in service as well.
Mayor Sellers presented former fire chief Shelby Turner with a plaque of appreciation from the city for his 30 years of service with the fire department.
“I’m not going anywhere, I’m just going to be less visible,” Turner said.
Shoemaker informed the council that Josh Akin’s 90-day probationary period is complete. The council voted to hire Akin as a fulltime, permanent employee and grant him a $1 per hour raise.
Shoemaker presented the council with a bid from Hutchen Construction for the resurfacing and repair of the roadway from School Street to Patterson Street. The council voted to accept the bid of $3,675.
“We’ve gotta get it fixed or it’ll get worse,” said Alderman Gene Cantrell.
Mayor Sellers reported the deeds for the proposed water tower location have been signed and the city now officially owns the property. Engineers are preparing bid notices and project specifications.
In other business, the council:
Voted to renew a five-year contract with Henson Sanitation Service at the city’s current rate;
Voted to renew a liability insurance contract with MOPERM;
Voted to approve Christmas bonuses for city employees in the amount of $100 each;
Spoke about instating an annual bonus for volunteer firefighters;
Voted to pay $5,000 towards the city’s line of credit through Arvest; and
Voted to pay $2,000 from General Revenue to Operations and Maintenance to repay a previous loan.