G. Ben Turnipseed Engineers presented the City of Lincolnton with a framed aerial view of the newly-renovated James Allen Reed Water Treatment Plant. Pictured are engineer Kenny Green (l) and Mayor Dwaine Biggerstaff. In light of the construction of a new high school off of Metasville Road, the Lincolnton City Council discussed upgrading the sewerage system at the group's regular meeting held Monday, March 3, at City Hall.

A couple of options to ensure the system could handle the extra load were presented to the mayor and council by Kenny Green, an engineer with G. Ben Turnipseed Engineers.

The option selected by the council calls for the city to replace two lift stations with larger ones and replace the force main associated with each station.

"One of the benefits of this alternative is that we will be replacing lift station #4 (behind Wallace-Wells Circle), which has been a continual maintenance problem for the city," said Green. "This option is also better from an engineering standpoint."

The total cost of the project is estimated at $666,000. The city hopes to fund the project with:

(1) $434,000 from the Lincoln County Board of Education.

(2) Up to $150,000 from Robert Pollard.

Since the city will be running a gravity sewer line through property owned by Pollard Lumber Company, which will open up the land to development, Pollard has agreed to contribute to the project.

(3) $25,000 in CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) funds from 2005. These monies can be applied to the force mains.

This would leave the city with a balance of $61,000, which will be taken out of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) Fund.

According to Green, "Now is a good time to go ahead with this project. A year-and-a-half ago, a sixinch line cost from $17 to $20 a foot; now, it costs $8 a foot - the same material, the same contractor."

Green received the council's permission to proceed with the project design.

In other business, Green presented the council with a framed print of the newly-renovated James Allen Reed Water Treatment Plant.

"The EPD was very complimentary of the plant - the way it is being operated, the record-keeping, and the cleanliness," said the engineer. "It's a fine facility - it was a far reaching and forward thinking project for the city."

In further business, the council:

.. Was informed by Mayor Dwaine Biggerstaff that John Small, a former city employee, passed away.

.. Reviewed the city website, which had been enhanced by Dan Standard of Washington.

"For a website to draw traffic, it has to look professional," said Standard. "What we have here tonight is a basic layout, not a completed project. This will give you an idea of what the website can look like."

In the discussion that followed, the council gave Standard input concerning the items they would like to see on the website.

In conclusion, the group gave its approval for Standard to proceed with developing the website at a cost not to exceed $900.

.. Was informed by Mayor Biggerstaff that the city and county's annual clean-up day is set for Saturday, April 26.

.. Was informed by the mayor that the city received notification that Anthony Street will be paved under the DOT's Local Assistance Road Program (LARP).

.. Heard the Water and Wastewater Report given by Chris Guin, operator of the wastewater treatment plant.

In his remarks, Guin stated, "Total water production decreased this month, dropping from 11.18 million gallons in January to 9.34 million gallons in February."

He then pointed out that both of the city's new generators are now online.

In other items of information, Guin said, "We went through a two-day sanitary survey conducted by the EPD, the first one we've had at the upgraded water treatment plant. We came out fairly well, with only a few discrepancies."

.. Heard the Zoning Board Report given by Building and Code Enforcement Officer David Griffin, who said seven building permits were issued and nine building inspections were conducted during the month of February

He further noted that he has completed the Local Update of Census Program (LUCA). The survey showed 84 new residential addresses. Moreover, 43 old addresses were deleted.

.. Voted to adopt a new permit fee schedule, effective immediately.

.. Voted to have B & J Appliance and Signs place decals on a city vehicle for the zoning administrator at a cost of $125.

.. Voted to approve the oath of office for the building and code enforcement official. The oath will serve to make the individual an officer of the court.

.. Voted to rezone property at 195 S. Peachtree Street, owned by Jamie Reese, from R-1 to R-2 to shorten the road frontage required for a house that will be moved to the corner of the lot and face Grove Street. The house in question currently sits next to Broad River Realty and was built circa 1912.

.. Heard the Police Department Report given by Chief Jim Justice, who said that during February, his department responded to two burglaries, two simple batteries, one incident of weapons in the school safety zone, incidents of criminal trespass, one theft by taking, one instance of terroristic threats and acts, two cases of entering an automobile with the intent to commit theft, and one armed robbery.

The chief went on to say that offduty police officers are presently providing security at local schools. The resource officers' salaries are being paid with grant monies.

.. Was invited by Biggerstaff to attend the open house at the Lincolnton Marina on Saturday, March 8, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. "I encourage everyone to come," said the mayor. "It is a beautiful facility, which improves the image of the county."

The marina is owned by Councilman Jeremy Dawkins.

.. Heard Kay Remsen, city clerk, report that rentals of the newly-renovated Lincolnton Clubhouse were up for the month of February.

.. Voted to purchase new light fixtures for the city barn at a cost not to exceed $1,850.

"We plan to post photos of the clubhouse on the Internet," said Mayor Biggerstaff. "Once everything is fixed, and we publicize it, we will have a lot more rentals than anticipated. There is definitely a market for a facility that size."

In other comments, the mayor noted that Councilman Larry Goolsby is currently working to develop specifications for the renovation of the clubhouse kitchen. The renovations will be funded by a $10,000 allocation from the General Assembly.

.. Voted to purchase a pick-up truck for the street and sanitation department. Councilman Goolsby will review the bids to ensure that the city gets the specified equipment at the lowest price.

.. Was informed by Mayor Biggerstaff that the city has received notification that Advanced Disposal is adding a fuel surcharge to its monthly bill. The city disposes of its garbage at the Columbia Road Transfer Station, which is operated by Advanced Disposal.

Written by Angelia Cowart, the letter from Advanced Disposal stated, "As all businesses must do, we have also been reviewing our costs. Unfortunately, after completing the review, we have found that with the increasing cost of diesel fuel, we are going to have to implement an increase by way of the fuel surcharge."

.. Discussed pending legislature that could have an adverse effect on franchise fees from the city's point of view.

.. Discussed plans to repair the front entrance to City Hall.

.. Voted to enter into executive session to discuss personnel issues. Upon returning to regular session, the council voted to pay the zoning administrator an additional $350 a month in lieu of healthcare benefits.

The next regular meeting of the mayor and council will be held Monday, April 7, at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.