Mendenhall Mayor Todd Booth updated the Board of Aldermen at their most recent regularly scheduled meeting, reporting that the Highway 13 Water line project is 75 percent complete.
He said the project ran into a few complications with minor damage to Boggan Ridge waterlines. However, Red Oak Constructions has since corrected the issues and are progressing along Highway 13, and new fire hydrants are being installed.
The water line is being installed on the west bound lane of the highway and will provide a significant increase in water pressure for city users. Mayor Booth said the water pressure in the southern part of town would vary drastically.
As an example, he said if someone was watering their lawn or filling a swimming pool, or washing a car it would cause a significant drop in pressure. The problem will be corrected, and the city will be able to do away with the booster stations in the area once the project is completed.
The board approved payment requests from Red Oak Construction for work already completed.
Booth also updated the board on the Frontage Road project to loop the water and sewer system and provide access to utilities to future businesses. The latest progress was a meeting with the engineer to discuss how the sewer lines would be constructed.
The Board approved the city to apply for the 2024 Tourism Grant and approved court clerks Lorie King and Angie Bryant to attend the Emergency Casualty Care Conference at Camp Shelby.
The board discussed digging a ditch near the property next to McLemore Park to help with drainage.
The Mendenhall Fire Department was approved to relocate Engine 3 to the new fire station in D’Lo. Mayor Booth explained that the fire station in D’Lo should not be called Mendenhall Station 2 because the city does not own the building. Instead, it should be listed as the D’Lo Fire Station, and the Mendenhall Fire Department can house a truck there due to the interlocal agreement for fire services between the municipalities.
Old turnouts were declared surplus and approved for disposal. Fire Coordinator Matt Abbott said that new sets of gear had been purchased for the department and the older sets needed to be taken out of commission. He said turnouts are usually only active for ten years, but that the department had gear that was 16 years old and needed to be out of service. Booth asked him to ensure that the turnouts are disposed of properly and destroyed to prevent any unauthorized use.
The resignations of Michael Hill and Edwin Pittman from the city crew were accepted.
The board also approved the employment of Brian Chapman as part-time in the Water Department. Booth explained that Chapman has been instrumental in installing the new water meters used by the city. He said the city currently has 63 new meters that need to be installed. The entire city installation is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
