Sulphur Springs City Manager’s Report for March 2021
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COVID-19 RESPONSE – The number of active cases in Hopkins County increased 31% since our last meeting with a total of 157 active cases as of February 01, 2021. This follows 2 months of declining active cases. It does seem though that the state is not as timely in deducting resolved cases as it is in reporting new cases. Every now and then the number will suddenly drop by 70 or 80 cases, so I am not very confident in the number of total active cases reported by the state. I am confident in the number of persons reported in the covid unit at the hospital which stands at 10 today as compared to 14 last month, another decline.
As a part of the City’s response to Covid-19 the City suspended the practice of cutting off water service for non-payment. Some of the balances are growing quite high. The total arrearage is $182,628 with 730 accounts (10.88% of all accounts) in arrears. Total active covid cases did not decline again this month, so I am not proposing any catch-up program, but I likely will in April.
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GRAYS BUILDING –The framing and the plumbing top-out is finished. Electrical rough-in is nearly complete. HVAC is being installed now. The roofer will be onsite this week. Insulation will be installed next week. Brick and sheetrock won’t be far behind.
SENIOR CITIZENS BUILDING – Construction drawings are still being prepared by REES Associates. We have hired Tandem Consulting to oversee the construction just like the Grays Building.
WOODLAWN STREET –The Capital Construction Division has completed their work on the project. Texana Land and Asphalt will cement-stabilize the road base tomorrow and they will pave the street with asphalt early next week.
SAPUTO SEWER MAIN – Materials have been ordered, but weather has delayed the start of this project. This
$750,000 sewer project is funded entirely by a grant from the Texas Department of Agriculture. The new main will
supplement an older undersized main. The path of the new main begins at Saputo and continues under the interstate. It
then continues South for 3,500 feet before connecting to an existing trunk line. The new main has a 15-inch diameter.
This grant is made possible because of a $50 million plant upgrade at Saputo and their cooperation with the Texas Department of Agriculture. Without their cooperation this project would not have been possible.
COLLEGE STREET – This will be the next project after the Saputo Sewer Line Project. The concrete crushing operation that will provide much of the road base for College Street is underway. They have already crushed about 15,000 tons of concrete.
CLAIMS – We had one minor workers compensation claim in February, but we did not have any liability claims.
We did submit two insurance claims of our own in February. One was for damage caused by a motorist who struck one of our utility trucks. The other claim was the result of a dump truck rolling over while it was being towed. Both claims have been submitted to their respective insurance companies.
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Elsewhere around the city, employees:
• Fixed multiple water leaks in city buildings and replaced various public restroom
fixtures as a result of the freeze.
• Prepared athletic fields for youth league season.
• Served 2,237 meal-a-day meals.
• Repaired ramp lights at the airport.
• Tested warning sirens, and are making repairs.
• Performed preventative maintenance and repairs on numerous apparatuses at the
water treatment plant and wastewater treatment plant.
• Treated wastewater effluent to a daily average total suspended solids count of .49
mg/L.
• Repaired 15 water breaks.
• Replaced 7 water meters.
• Unstopped 23 sewer mains.
• Repaired 8 sewer mains.
• Washed 75,000 feet of sewer mains.
• Treated 140 million gallons of potable water.
• Responded to 105 animal control calls while achieving a 78% adoption rate.
• Made 2 felony arrests in the special crimes unit.
• Responded to 40 accidents, wrote 311 citations, recorded 39 offences and made 34
arrests in the patrol division.
• Checked out 2,061 items at the library plus 684 eBooks.
• Conducted 19 building inspections, 8 electrical inspections, 12 plumbing
inspections, 1 mechanical inspection and issued 8 building permits.
• Responded to 335 fire/rescue calls including 5 structure fires, 6 grass fires and 2
vehicle fires.
• Made 11 major street repairs following utility repairs.
• Repaired 262 potholes.
• Replaced 9 stop signs and 4 street signs.
• Cast salt and sand on city streets.
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