Caraway City Council saw the resignation of Chief of Police, Pete Hicks, during its monthly meeting last week. After accepting his resignation the council moved to make Shannon Kelems the new chief of police. The council set the new chief’s pay at $11.93 an hour.
By moving Kelems to chief of police the council had created a vacancy in the position of patrol sergeant. Aaron Buck was recommended to be moved to the position with an increase in pay of $1,000 a year.
The council will advertise for a new officer. The council decided they would start an officer out at $28,000 yearly with an increase of $1,000 after the 90-day probation period ended if the candidate was certified.
Terry Couch gave the council a report on the well and the treatment process that has been done by Jones Hydro Services. The well was inspected with a video camera and was recorded at 1,116 feet deep. The original well log records the depth at 1,126 ft. deep. According to Couch the blockage is not affecting the well.
Total cost of the replacement of the well pump and installation will be $29,000 plus taxes.
“We just had a survey from the health department, which does a sanitary survey on the water system every three years. One of the requirements is they like the tanks to be inspected. I had an appointment scheduled last fall or early spring but the people never showed up,” Couch said.
A company from Joplin, Mo., will perform the job for $2,862. This process is a requirement from the health department.
The wastewater plant is still offline. A new curtain will have to be installed. The original price for the curtain was going to be over $13,000, but Couch found a company in Mobile, Ala., that makes the curtains and the new price is $3,058.44.
“As quick as we get done with that stuff on Valerie Lane we've got to get in on this. Right now we are putting everything in the holding cell. I’ll probably have to rent a Bobcat, it will probably have to be one with tracks. Arkansas Rural Water will maybe bring us a bing pump to pump this basin out,” Couch said.
The council also passed ordinance 2017-7. This ordinance states the council can pass future ordinances and then later add them to their books as code.
The council also passed a millage of 1.8 mils. This millage is unchanged from last year.