Hawkins
City
Council
Water
Tower
painting
underway;Debris
strewn
lots to
be
cleaned
By JOHN
SPARKS
Meeting
in
regular
session,
Monday,
February
18, the
Hawkins
City
Council
noted
the
obvious
progress
on the
water
tower
re-painting/restoration
project,
and
resolved
to move
forward
on steps
to clear
three
code
violation
situations.
The
council
also
took no
action
on Mayor
Sam
Bradley’s
suggestion
to
extend
hours at
the
Hawkins
City
Park.
It was
nearly
an hour
before
the
council
addressed
the
first
official
agenda
item as
an
improptu
discussion
of three
eyesore
situations
involving
city
code
violations
ensued.
Council
members
expressed
frustration
about
the lack
of
progress
in
cleaning
up
debris
and
weeds on
two
empty
lots on
Buleah
Street
(south
of the
Family
Dollar
Store
and
north of
Fred’s.
The
discussion
resulted
in
giving
instructions
to Code
Enforcement
Officer
Johnny
Jones
and
Police
Chief
Ron Voda
to move
forward
immediately
with
enforcement
procedures.
Jones
was also
told to
proceed
with his
efforts
to have
an
abandoned
and
deteriorating
trailer
home
removed
from a
lot on
West
Blackburn.
The
sandblasting
of the
interior
and
exterior
of the
water
tower is
well
underway.
The work
also
involves
minor
repairing
and/or
replacing
steel
parts,
interior
coating
application
and new
white
paint on
the
exterior.
The
specifications
also
call for
deep
blue
lettering—“HAWKINS
HAWKS”—six
feet in
height
on two
sides.
Mayor
Sam
Bradley
also
reported
that two
six-foot
Hawks,
the
school’s
mascot,
would be
applied
in blue.
Work on
the
water
tower is
expected
to be
completed
in
90-days.
Precautions
have
been
taken
during
the
“down
time”
for the
water
tower,
including
pumps
and
spare
pressure
valves
to
maintain
flow. In
addition,
an
emergency
20,000
gallon
tank of
water to
be used
for
firefighting
by the
Hawkins
Volunteer
Fire
Department
has been
provided.
compliments
of
Ozarka.
The
local
plant of
the
Spring
Water
firm has
also
advised
the city
it would
provide
emergency
drinking
water
for city
residents
if
necessary.
Bradley
also
initiated
discussion
of
extending
hours
for the
City
Park and
for the
Youth
Sports
Park.
The
consensus
among
council
members
was that
the
current
hours of
operation
were
serving
residents
quite
well.
Hours
can be
extended
for any
special
events
or
activities
on a
case by
case
basis.
The
council
approved
an
interlocal
agreement
with
Wood
County
for
emergencies
services
coordination
at a
cost of
$2,136
to the
city.
Mayor
Bradley
also had
placed
an item
on the
agenda
regarding
needed
sewer
improvements
on a
line
along
U.S. 80
and on
Scenic
Loop.
Councilmen
pointed
out the
two
sewer
lines
are not
a part
of the
next
planned
rework
project
scheduled
for this
year
(for
which
the city
received
a state
grant)
and will
have to
wait
until
next
year.
The
estimated
cost of
the
project
is
$800,000.
Police
Chief
Voda
said the
officers
of the
department
will
report
any
street
light
outages
and also
make
recommendations
regarding
the need
for
additional
new
street
lights
in the
city.
The next
regularly
scheduled
meeting
of the
Hawkins
City
Council
is
scheduled
for
Monday,
March 17
at 6
p.m. A
special
meeting
of the
council
can be
called
with 72
hours
public
notice.
