The Piedmont City Council, on Tuesday, approved a proposal to repair and upgrade the city’s aging water holding tanks.
After reviewing several bids, city officials awarded Georgia-based American Tank Maintenance with the contract, which calls for repairs and continued maintenance that will cost the city about $996,000 over a 12-year period.
The repairs will include painting the tanks, which haven’t been painted since they were first installed in 1982. Additionally, the protective coating inside the tanks will be replaced.
To pay for the repairs, the council previously agreed to add a $5 surcharge to residential water bills. The monthly charge will stay at $5 for five years, at which point it will be reduced to $1.30. At Tuesday’s meeting, officials voted to begin collecting the surcharge in July.
By completing the necessary repairs and upgrades, the city will be able to avoid major fines, which had been threatened by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) for failure to address the issue sooner.
Following the passage of a city-wide ordinance on Tuesday, the city will no longer pick up tree trimmings and pulpwood left by the curb by commercial tree trimming companies or individuals.
According to the ordinance, violators could face a fine of $100 to $500 or “imprisonment or face hard labor by the City for no more than six months.”
The move comes as a result of the city’s street department seeing an increase in maintenance costs in recent years from the added wear and tear of picking up the additional materials.
In other business, the council declared a 1991 GMC truck and a 1994 EONE pumper as surplus to be listed on govdeals.com.
Bills for payment were approved in the amount of $407,926.30.
The next regular Piedmont City Council Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 19th, following the work session, which is set for 5:30pm.