April 20, 2021
By: Dwayne Page
The city is closer to naming a successor to Mike Carpenter as airport manager.
During a special called city council meeting Monday night, Mayor Josh Miller informed the aldermen that three people have applied but the city’s airport advisory board has not yet made a recommendation.
Although the airport manager position is part-time, two of the three applicants would like to serve in the role full time. The third applicant would work part-time.
The new airport manager is expected to be hired at the next regular city council meeting on May 3.
Carpenter, who has served as airport manager since August, 2019, recently announced his resignation but is still at the airport for a few more days.
Jimmy Lewis will continue to serve as the city golf course maintenance caretaker for the next three years.
The city advertised and received bids through April 15.
Lewis, who has been the caretaker of the golf course grounds for the last couple of years, submitted a bid of $33,000 for the year which is the same price the city paid him last year. Another company, Williams & Sons Lawn Care sent in a bid of $42,000.
Lewis added in his bid that if the city were willing to let him have the contract for three years he would keep the price at $33,000 per year. The aldermen Monday night voted to award Lewis the contract for three years at $33,000 per year.
The aldermen hired Phillip Young as a seasonal employee to mow and bushhog this spring and summer. Young previously spent 23 years doing the same kind of work for the state.
The aldermen also authorized city public works director Kevin Robinson to place an order for a new backhoe, a cost to the city at the state bid price of $98,589. It may be October before the city gets the new backhoe.
A new backhoe will replace a 2017 model which was recently damaged and totaled after it struck a manhole. The city filed an insurance claim and is expected to receive $80,000. But the city can also buy back the damaged backhoe and sell it through govdeals.com for possibly up to $10,000. The city plans to include almost $22,000 in the 2021-22 budget to put toward the purchase of the new backhoe.