Today's Feature

First Pass at Budget Cuts.

The City Council Budget/Ways and Means Committee met Thursday to continue the fiscal 2007 budget hearing process. The hearings will be continued into this week.

Carthage Water and Electric Plant (CW&EP) General Manager Bob Williams presented the plant’s budget to the committee. Williams gave an overview of some of the upcoming projects and ongoing concerns of CW&EP, speaking of power purchases, drought conditions, City expansion, annexation and work involving the new McCune-Brooks Hospital.

Williams said that in light of the dwindling resources nation-wide, supplying power would be a "rough ride," until the opening of the Plum Point Power Plant Project, scheduled for 2010.

The committee then commenced a first pass through the budget looking at areas where cuts may be made. The committee discussed the City agencies and had a lengthy debate about arrangements with the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Several Committee members expressed concerns regarding the distribution of the lodging tax money, received by the CVB. The tax money is based on number of hotel room rentals in City hotels. Committee member Mike Harris said that he felt the means of determining the source of the hotel-room rentals was "nebulous."

"I think this is fraught with problems," said Harris of the arrangement.

The committee requested via City Administrator Tom Short that a meeting be arranged with representatives from the CVB to examine more closely the method of distribution of the lodging tax fund.

The committee then looked at items in the capital improvement list. Several items were tentatively stricken from the budget due to unfinished growth and development. Those items included; bridge maintenance, Memorial Hall parking lot repair, Hazel Ave. widening, River Street Improvements, traffic signals at Phelps Blvd. and 571, and others. Items left on the capital list include the $150,000 proposed comprehensive plan for the City, the Fairview Interchange, and the final payment on the Parks department building.

Another item left on the capital list was the bond payment for the Municipal Golf course. Committee member Ron Wells proposed a new alternative for alleviating the debt incurred during the golf course renovations.

"Sell the golf course," said Wells. Several committee members laughed at this suggestion.

The budget process will require more meetings and more discussion, as it was not finalized at Thursday’s meeting. At the beginning of the hearings the proposed expenses outweighed the funds available by $4,169,448.

Stench Report:
Friday,
4/28/06

No Stink Reported

I always look in the rearview mirror when I pass over turtles with the car. Some pull their head in and just wait, other just keep wigglin’ along like nothin’ happened. I can’t imagine what a turtle must be thinkin’ when vehicle whizzes over ‘em. Maybe they figure it was one a those quick thunder storms movin’ through, or a giant crash of thunder. You’d think the hot pavement would stick to their little feet as long as they take ta get on the other side. Maybe they’re just hopin’ for rain.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Septic Tank Safety Measures

Q: I think before you write an article on septic tanks you should do a little research and learn something about the business. First off, you should never recommend someone check their own cesspool. I was involved in a very unfortunate incident of a customer falling into the cesspool and dying because he was trying to check his own. So it is very upsetting to hear you give some advice that can be deadly to someone. I am the owner of a cesspool company, and I advise you do some serious research before writing an article. -- Anonymous, via e-mail

A: Well, that’s it folks, from now on don’t check your septic tank levels with a measuring stick, call a professional to do it. While you’re at it, throw away all your power tools, your ladders and maybe all the fatty foods in your refrigerator, too. They are all unsafe and can lead to your demise.

I am being a bit flippant, but the last time I checked this was a "do-it-yourself" column. And I have great faith in my readers that they will observe basic safety guidelines before checking septic tank levels, using power tools, climbing ladders or consuming steaks.

That said, let’s go over some common-sense precautions to take before checking your septic-tank levels: Bring a helper along, and if you’re worried about falling in, bring a sturdy rope. Don’t lean over or into the tank opening. If the measuring stick you’re using doesn’t reach the bottom of the tank, get another one. And don’t ever attempt to drain or clean the tank yourself (this actually did lead to a widely publicized fatality a couple years ago) -- the point of measuring the amount of sludge is to determine when to call a professional to pump it out.

If you’d like more in-depth information about septic tank maintenance than this brief column can provide, allow me to recommend my favorite book on the subject: "The Septic System Owners Manual" by Lloyd Kahn, Blair Allen, Julie Jones and Peter Aschwenden (Shelter Publications, 2000).

It’s also not a bad idea to have one or two safety guides for other do-it-yourself tasks in easy reach. So head to your nearest bookstore (or online store) and ask for books on power-tool or home-improvement safety. Many of these guidelines are included in any general home-improvement book you pick up, so be sure to review them before starting repair or maintenance tasks.

The steaks I can’t help you with, I’m afraid. You’ll just have to use your best judgment. Although I do have a decent marinade recipe for them.