Since 1943, the language that governs the Carmi Fire Department has gone largely unchanged. After 80 years, the City of Carmi has adopted, updated, and modernized it with an ordinance that repeals and replaces the old versions. That happened Tuesday night at the bi-monthly Council meeting. City Clerk Cynthia Attebury and Mayor Jeff Pollard praised Sherry Anderson, the department’s Secretary/Treasurer for her work in updating that language.
“I would like to say that Sherry has worked extremely hard on this. She’s pieced it together, tore it apart, put it back together. She’s done her due diligence on this and I hope everyone has read it. It’s definitely way better than the 1943 version where we still had horse drawn buggies and water trailers.”
Other news coming out of the first City Council meeting for February includes approval of an IEPA Water Pollution Loan Application. The city is asking for up to $680,000 in a low interest loan. Attebury says it’s for the Wastewater Treatment Digestor Rehabilitation located 1299 CR 1125 East.
The City of Carmi Police Department will get a new Dodge Ram from Jansen Ford through the state bid process. Because of a snafu with Dodge during last year’s purchase, the department will be able to get the new vehicle at the 2023 rate of $38,609 rather than the 2024 rate which was set to exceed $42,000. A 2018 Dodge Ram will be transition to city use by another department when Chief Jason Carter takes delivery of the new truck.
Mayor Pollard intends to shop around for fuel for the city’s vehicles. He says it’s entirely possible getting a locked in price through bids won’t be a better option, but he at least wants to see if it’s possible.
“Back in the past, I mean we’ve always bought from FS, but we also had it to where in January we’d always lock in a price. Well they’re not doing that with us anymore. So I would like to shop around and see if there are better options…and there might not be, but it never hurts to find out.”
Council adjourned at 5:48pm and will reconvene for their second monthly meeting on February 20th at 225 East Main in Council Chambers directly behind the Light & Water building. Meetings are open to the public.
