The Calhoun City board of aldermen voted to seek potential funding to purchase a new weather siren for the town and to make curb/sidewalk improvements where available.The town currently has two weather sirens – one near the telephone company on the east side of town and one by the tennis courts on the west side. The one on the tennis courts has not been working.
The board learned of potential USDA money available to possibly replace the one on the west side and agreed to apply for it.
They also agreed to apply for a grant through the Transportation Alternatives (TA) program. TA utilizes Federal funds that contribute up to 80% of the total eligible project cost. This could be any range of projects related to the Hwy. 8/9 improvements underway by MDOT south of town.
The board also approved the establishment of an account to handle the bills for the SMLPC grant paving project on Burke/CC Road and the NRCS Keenum a stabilization project. The paving on Burke is scheduled to begin in early October.
In other news, the board approved the 2020-21 budget at their September meeting with a millage rate of 33.5.
The board also agreed to set the starting salary for newly hired PRN police officers with a full-time certification at $12 per hour and raise the three currently employed to $12 per hour beginning Oct. 1 and leaving the rate for PRN newly hired police officers without a full-time certification to $10 per hour.
The board authorized two 5K runs in the city. One is planned for Sept. 26 to benefit St. Jude and another is scheduled for Oct. 17 with proceedings going toward the fight against breast cancer.
A Kubota diesel mower was purchased from Chickasaw Equipment Company (state contract) for $13,153.
The 2018 audit conducted by Watkins, Ward and Stafford was accepted.
The board recessed until Sept. 8 when the budget will be formally adopted.