In Nov. 27 Issue
By Derek Aaron
Times Journal Reporter

The Jamestown City Council held their first regular monthly meeting in the new city hall's council chambers last Thursday, discussing several old, but crucial, items of business.

The council gave approval of an additional property request of .10 acres by the Project Development Board that had not been included when the city initially sold the old city hall to the board for construction of the new Russell County Judicial Center.

According to City Attorney Kevin Shearer, the .10 acres consists of the current parking lot in front of the old city hall building. The approval by the city's council will allow for more handicap accessible parking spots to be added in front of the new judicial center as well as extra parking spots for the general public.

Mayor Brooks Bates again commented on how getting the new judicial center was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the city.

In other happenings at the meeting:

• Councilman Larry Joe Murray and Jamestown Fire Chief Tony Wright gave a report on the preliminary results of insurance service organizations survey that occurred at the fire department last week.

Wright said two of the fire department's "pumper trucks" passed the water testing while several other trucks passed contingent on a few repairs being made to the truck's vacuums, among other repairs.

Final recommendations will be made on the trucks after the test results are released to the department in a week or so.

Murray also said that one of the trucks tested used a large amount of motor oil during testing and is being checked into by Fire Chief Wright. Bates said the reason for the testing was hopes of moving from a 5th class fire department to a 4th class, thus lowering insurance costs for the city.

Murray also recommended that the council look into spending the $8,000 in state allocated fire department money to purchasing a late model quad cab so that five to six firefighter could carpool to training classes together in the future.

Bates said the council would look into the matter and discuss it at a later meeting.

"I cant' say enough about our fire department and how devoted they are," Bates said. "There is someone over there, working every night."

• Public Works Director Ottis Skaggs said that an extremely important piece of equipment at the water treatment plant has broken and must be replaced "immediately."

Skaggs said the the plant's clarifier, which separates solids from water, quit working last week and will have to be replaced at a cost of a little more than $51,000.

• Skaggs said that construction of the city's new water treatment plant is expected to open for business on January 1st, which will increase the city's water output to four million gallons a day, and up to eight million gallons a day would be a possibility.

• Bates and the city council thanked the American Legion and others and commended them on the Veterans' Day Doughboy rededication ceremony. Bates called the event a huge success and said he was well pleased with the turnout, despite the chilly temperature.

Bates said more work was expected on the monument and that the granite was soon expected to be laid.

The council also commended the Jamestown Christian Church for their social following the ceremony.

• Bates said the city's budget was currently in good standing, over just about 10 percent as of November. "I know that this next quarter is going to be down," he said, citing the sagging economy.

• Bates announced that the general manager of Fruit of the Loom, Dale Halliwell, had received a promotion and would be moving to the company's home office in Bowling Green.

• Councilman Murray commended the work of City Clerk Kim Weston and Jamestown Police Chief Mike Keaton for orchestrating the respective moves of the city and the police department to the new city hall location.

• The mayor congratulated all six incumbent council members on being re-elected to another two-year term.

"A lot of people sit in the stands but you all step up to the batter's box," Bates said. "I think the people have spoken, that they appreciate you and that should be the confirmation that you need."