The City of Newton is now accepting credit and debit card payments for water bills and other transactions.
City Clerk Charlene Evans said during the Board of Aldermen’s meeting on Jan. 2 that her office recently received the charge card machines and are now installed and set up to accept payments.
“We are now accepting most credit and debit cards,” Evans said.
“However, customers must cover the 2.5 percent usage fee that the city is charged.”
The Board also approved an easement agreement with the Biewer to assist with the construction of its perimeter road. The road is part of an expansion of the plant that will increase wood production and add jobs.
Mayor Murray Weems also asked all city departments to examine any unused vehicles and see if the city can sell them at auction. He said not only would the city receive money for the sale of the vehicles, but also the city could save money by not having to cover those vehicles on the city’s insurance policy.
“And it would also help clean up the city because they won’t be sitting out on city property,” Weems said.
Specifically, Weems asked about a truck, a Tahoe, another pickup truck, a Dodge vehicle and other vehicles, some of which were confiscated during drug seizures.
Police Chief Harvey Curry said they may have some of the titles, but many of the ones seized during drug operations do not have titles. City Attorney Brian Mayo said they would have to apply for replacement titles.
Curry was asked about the status of the department’s body cameras. He said his department has about four body cameras, but they haven’t been using them.
A couple of months back when Curry was out sick, Curry said the assistant police chief came to the board without Curry’s authorization to seek guidance on using a service that turns cell phones into police body cameras. That action created some confusion about what the department should be using.
Curry said he has body cameras, and he will look to implement their use.
Raises on the agenda for the fire department were tabled until the Feb. 20.
In other action, Mayo said he received an interlocal agreement from the County 911 to handle the dispatching duties. His office is reviewing the contract and will bring it back to the board.
