Columbia Mayor Reed Houston
By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher
In a special-called meeting this afternoon, the Columbia Board of Aldermen agreed to advertise for bids to complete the Ridgewood sewer project.
The Ridgewood sewer project has already cost about $360,000, and finishing the work could cost between $150,000- $200,000, Mayor Reed Houston said.
So far the project has included improving and replacing sewer lines on Ridgewood, West Lafayette and Martin Luther King. The portion of the project the Board is seeking bids on now will put in a new sewer line between Pine Street and Gill Street.
Finishing the project may require the city borrowing money, Houston said, noting that there are limited funds in the water and sewer budget to pay for the remainder of the project. Houston said he would be in favor of the city borrowing funds so the project can be completed. The mayor added that putting in the line from Pine to Gill Street was part of the original plan.
The fact that there are limited funds in the water and sewer budget brings up another problem that the Board of Aldermen discussed today in the meeting— water rates. Houston said he thinks a water rate hike is necessary to fund current operations and so the city can save money for future projects.
The mayor said the city’s water infrastructure is getting pushed to its maximum potential and that another well and water tower will be needed soon, possibly in the next year. A new water tower is estimated to cost $1.5 million, Houston said.
Houston said the Board of Aldermen has not made a final decision on how much of a rate hike might be implemented and that the Board is still in the discussion phase.
In other matters from the special-called meeting, the Board of Aldermen took no action on sending Columbia Police Department Dispatcher Rhonda Burnham to a mandatory state certification class on the National Crime Information Center. Houston said Burnham is the only dispatcher within the city that would have to go to the training because she is the lead dispatcher. The training is July 26-30 in Jackson, and there is no charge.
In other business, the Board voted to spend about $3,000 to put rip-rap along National Guard Road for erosion control.
Sounds like something that is squarely in line with what the development partnership is supposed to be doing. Why don’t they just keep the money that they’d normally give to Frazier’s group and use it for the sewer work? Probably too simple that way.
wouldn’ that possibly put one of the good ole boys out of a job?
Is this really a mandatory meeting for the so called lead dispatcher? Somebody better be sure this one out closely. I understand that we have another dispatcher that is certified dispatcher. She also has more senority with the PD. Maybe we need to revanp and let the senority count.
I’m assuming the reason it was not acted on was because the Board of Aldermen would have to furnish transportation, meals, and lodging. Perhaps the training will be accomplished before it becomes reason for termination.
Looking into the future I can see a wrongful termination civil action because the Board of Supervisors refused to provide the training; it reminds me of hot coffee and McDonald’s.