November 8, 2022
By: Dwayne Page
The Smithville Mayor and Aldermen Monday night took the next step toward eventually installing a new irrigation system for the fairways and greens at the Smithville Golf Course replacing the 55-year-old infrastructure.
During the regular monthly meeting, the Aldermen adopted a budget amendment ordinance on second and final reading in the amount of $375,000 to purchase materials for the project. The labor costs will be addressed later estimated to be around $215,000. Bids were advertised recently but none were received.
The city’s financial advisor Janice Plemmons Jackson said last month that the funds are available for this project in the city budget thanks in part to golf course generated fees over the years.
The Aldermen also adopted on final reading as part of the same budget amendment ordinance an expenditure in the amount of $15,832 toward the purchase of a new garbage truck and $112,541 to do street paving. These are funds needed to meet costs above what was budgeted for these projects.
The total amount to cover the extra costs for all these projects named in the budget amendment ordinance comes to $503,373 to be taken from the city’s unreserved general fund balance.
The Aldermen also adopted on first reading another budget amendment ordinance to cover extra costs for other specific projects in both the general fund and water and sewer fund.
In the general fund, the city needs an extra $31,783 to cover costs of replacing the city hall roof for which the aldermen had budgeted $100,000; $14,000 for repairs or reconstruction of a used backhoe; and $27,151 to repair or replace an arm on a city sanitation truck. The total amount of the budget amendment for these projects comes to $72,934 to be taken from the unreserved general fund balance.
In the water and sewer fund, the budget amendment ordinance includes $50,000 needed for a sewer pump station upgrade on Jennings Lane. The money will be taken from the water and sewer funds retained earnings or reserves.
Meanwhile, the Aldermen voted to promote Josh Hawkins to the position of Public Works Supervisor and increase his hourly pay from $ 22.31 to $25 per hour. Hawkins will work under Public Works Director Kevin Robinson.