The Water and Wastewater Commission ordinance, proposed by Councilman Jim Newcomb was withdrawn by the alderman after Daniel McDaniel, of the Water Committee and 2006 proponent of the commission, stated that he believed that now is not the time for a commission.
"I was all for a commission in 2006 and I still believe that a bona fide Water Commission can work well," said McDaniel. "I do not feel like right now is the right time to do a Water Commission because we have a variety of things that we have not figured out."
McDaniel stated that the city needs to figure out how they are going to operate and which way they want to go as far as a long term water source whether it be to tie on to the James Fork Water District or to go with the regional water district being proposed by State Representative Steve Breedlove.
"Once we figure out what we are going to do then lets figure how we want to run it in the most efficient way," said McDaniel.
McDaniel stated that he and the rest of the members of the Water Committee met before the Council meeting and voted unanimously against it. The members of the committee also stated that they would not serve on a Water Commission at this time.
Greenwood Fire Chief Stewart Bryan approached the council concerning change order requests for the East side substations. Requests included adding a guard rail for the outside of the station, the painting of an interior room, a rubber base on the floor of that room and bronze letters for the outside of the station to read "Greenwood Fire Station number two"
Bryan received approval for $35,954 for the change orders and to cover expenses pending fire committee approval.
Bryan also brought to the council a laundry list of items that could possibly lower Greenwood ISO rating thereby reducing the amount that homeowners would pay for house insurance. Currently Greenwood has an ISO rating of five. According to Bryan if the rating can be brought to a three it could save residents anywhere from $250-300 a year.
The list of equipment presented by Bryan included: a first response/rescue/wildland and multi-functional fire truck, a platform truck to fight fires in three story buildings, two brush trucks, a third fire station on the west side of Greenwood near Westwood Primary, two additional fire trucks, additional manpower (either full time or paid on call), upgrading of equipment and gear and a 3000 gallon tanker for more remote parts of town not covered by fire hydrants.
All tolled the cost of this equipment comes to $3,891,000. Alderman Rod Powell stated that the city could go one of two ways concerning the needed equipment, either purchase these items slowly as the sales tax money comes in or to take a bond issue to the people at the November election.
Powell requested that Bryan speak with Finance Director Dallas Melvin about the borrowing capability of the city and decide how much of the equipment is really necessary to help Greenwood lower the ISO to a three. "If you can get the figure low enough to where we can borrow that amount of money I would support a bond issue," said Powell.
Powell also stated that it would be necessary to extend the sunset clause on the three quarter cent sales tax passed in November of 2006 but that he did not want to see taxes increased.
