GOSNELL -- Several community members were on hand to voice concerns to the Gosnell City Council at their April meeting Tuesday night. One resident of Crestmont Circle complained about packs of stray dogs running loose in the area, let out by their owners in the mornings and evenings.
"I've seen as many as 17 of them in a pack," said Mr. Wooldridge (first name not available), "and some of them can be quite vicious."
Mayor Don Marshall assured Wooldridge that Gosnell's dogcatcher would patrol the area more carefully, and any unregistered dogs would be picked up.
Other residents spoke up and requested that Police Chief Bobby Trump have officers patrol their areas more often, in order to control speeding through their residential neighborhoods.
Trump also announced that the police department will soon be auctioning off four vehicles, including a 1993 Dodge pickup and a 1994 Subaru. The department has also gained ownership of a 1994 Infinity -- the result of a recent drug bust.
The council passed a resolution to rescind the condemnation of a commercial building at 837 Highway 181, which the owner had repaired in order to pass inspection by all necessary officials in order to be put up for sale.
In other city business, the Gosnell Park has re-opened, but more repairs to the equipment are pending, and funds are still being raised for a total renovation of the area.
A town hall meeting is planned for 7 p.m. Thursday April 21 to discuss the renewal of the city's mosquito contract with Vector control, and a motion was passed to begin accepting bids for street repairs, moved up from their scheduled time in June.
Marshall announced he was proud of the city's departments for coming in at the end of the first quarter in good control of their budgets, with the sewer department at 24.5 percent, the sanitation department at 20.9 percent, and the police department at 22.6 percent, to name a few. The mayor himself has kept his expense account at only 7 percent of his yearly budget, he said.
sharris@blythevillecourier.com