SPARTA NEWS


City to purchase property across from park
Date: 
06.25.2012

Cost of land is $8,000
 
By Kim Swindell Wood
Editor
kim@myspartanews.com

Published: Monday, June 25, 2012 6:44 AM CDT

 
City of Sparta will be adding another piece of property to its real estate assets with the pending purchase of the land at 29 S. Carter St.
 
The purchases was unanimously approved by Sparta Board of Mayor and Aldermen during its June 21, 2012, meeting.
 
Mayor Jeff Young said this piece of property is directly across the street from South Carter Street Park. Young said the city already owns the property on the corner of Katz and South Carter streets, which is adjacent to this piece of land.
 
“These two properties together – if we make this purchase – will make a great asset to the city park with some additional parking,” Young said.
 
The cost is $8,000, which is reportedly $3,000 less than the appraised value of the property.
 
In other business, the board heard reports from each of the departmental supervisors.
 
• L.R. West, electric system director: Since Dec. 2, 2011, electric system workers have replaced 31 primary poles that were either decayed or damaged and 33 secondary poles, which are security, streetlights, etc. Workers are also replacing some of the service lines that extend from the electric poles to city residences because the lines are old and brittle, according to West.
 
• Kirk Young, fire chief: Firefighters have been attending first responder classes. The department has also responded to the following during the past month: three mutual aid calls to assist county fire departments; one structure fire, which was on Brown Street; five wrecks; two brush fires; one Code 1 (assist at hospital with medical helicopter landing); seven fire alarms; and three car fires. The department is also checking businesses and industries for hazards and helping develop pre-fire plans.
 
• Olof Fornehed, public works director: Fornehed said the water department has been performing usual maintenance. Water tank inspections have been completed, and tanks are back in service. The water tank near Walmart needs repainting, according to Fornehed. The tank also needs some minor repair work. The Story Mountain water tank “seems like it’s in good shape.” According to Fornehed, the inspector said the tank only needed “minor touch-up.”
 
“That one should be in good shape until the next five-year inspection, at least,” Fornehed said.
 
He said the brush truck has been out-of-service, which has caused a delay in picking up debris from city residents. The truck scheduled for pick-up, on June 22.
 
Fornehed said the Clark Street project is “still on track.” About 50 percent to 60 percent of the sidewalk has been poured.
 
• Jeff Guth, police chief: Guth reported two out-of-state fugitives were recently arrested in the city - one from Missouri and the other from California.
 
The board also:
 
• Approved second and final reading of an ordinance to adopt an operating budget for City of Sparta for fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012, and ending June 30, 2013, and set an ad valorem tax rate of $1.05 per $100 of assessed property value
 
• Approved the city recorder’s financial reports
 
• Approved bid results for 2012-2013 chemicals for the water and sewer departments, as well as YMCA
 
• Authorized transfer sale of bucket truck from electric department of public works department
 
• Approved hiring recommendation of Garet Hickerson as lineman for electric department
 
• Approved promotions of Jim Oaks, Shea Burchett and Scott Johnson in electric department (promotions recommended for experience and training)
 
• Authorized solicitation of employment applications for street laborer
 
Sparta Board of Mayor and Aldermen meets at 5 p.m., the first and third Thursdays of each month, at Sparta City Hall. The next meeting will be July 5, 2012.
 
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