The Town of Decatur will be spending just over $1 million from its general fund budget with an expected revenue of $695,200.
That means the city will draw down nearly $315,400 from cash reserves. According to information provided by town officials, capital expenditures will be one of the largest expenses, with $100,000 of the proposed $189,000 will be allocated for the new fire truck. Other capital expenses include $10,000 for city hall refurbishment, $21,000 for a police car, $45,000 for a small municipal grant match and $13,000 for new lawn mowers.
The capital expenditures increased $115,000 from fiscal year 2019.
However, ending cash reserves will be project to be around $316,000 or four months of the general fund budget. That is projecting nearly flat departmental budgets and money budgeted to begin paying Newton County 911 for dispatching services.
In other business, the town also heard a complaint from Jackie Etie about illegal garbage dumping Medgar Evers to Jenkins trailer park down Fifth Street. She provided the photos of what you can see from the roadway.
The illegal dumping includes a couch in the ditch, a toilet, junk cars and other trash left out in the open.
“We’re the entry way into Turkey Creek Water Park,” Etie said. “Y’all have spent a lot of money paving our road, and we are eternally grateful. And it looks like a dumpster coming down through there. We are requesting that you take whatever is in your power to get something done.
“It’s just filthy. It’s a dumping ground.”
Alderman Mark Buntyn said, according to an ordinance passed in 1987, the town can go in after the five days and clean it up after they have let the property owners to clean up the property. If the town cleans up the property, the town will place a lien on the property to recoup the cost of cleanup.
The aldermen agreed that the town should notify the property owner to begin the property cleanup process.
The town also approved building permits for Jay Purser at the “Caveman’s Kitchen” and Britt Fox to build a personal workshop on the back side of the property.
The aldermen have also invited owners of several downtown apartments to attend next month’s meeting to discuss the parking problem in downtown Decatur. Police Chief Joedy Pennington said he was approached by several businesses about the parking situation. Specifically, some tenants and visitors are parking in downtown and leaving their cars there throughout the day, blocking potential customers from parking near their businesses.
The town will have to spend between $1,400 and $1,600 to repair its shop door, which was injured after an accident with a tractor.
The public works department will have to close 10th Avenue by the Alternative School to replace a culvert. To do the work, the road will be closed all day and would block access to several residents who only have one way in and one way out.
Decatur’s Water Department is also monitoring a water main that serves Newton County High School and crosses Max Anderson’s property. The pipe will need to be replaced very soon, most likely on a weekend, so that it would not affect it during a school day.
The town is coordinating the repairs with Superintendent J.O. Amis to see if the repairs can take place starting immediately after school on a Friday and possibly wouldn’t affect a Friday night football game at home.
The health department is also requiring the town to start testing its asbestos water lines regularly. Town hall’s air conditioning unit will be cleaned at a cost of $900 to remove any mold or mildew within the system.
The town will also adjust a customer’s water bill to remove the sewer charge because they used their water to fill up a pool.
