CLAYPOOL – Town Council members went over paperwork Monday for wastewater treatment plant financing that they approved last month. Members had agreed on a five-year loan of $60,108 at 2.25 percent interest from Crossroads Bank, to cover the cost of a mobile office and grinder pump for the wastewater plant. The loan will keep the town from having to drain its general fund and wastewater account, members heard. A total of $112,600.65 is due for work toward the plant, council heard in December. To cover it and repay the loan, they agreed to draw $60,000 from the wastewater fund and $20,737.13 each from Tax Increment Financing districts 1 and 2. Also Monday, council again tabled a request by town Police Chief Lou Mediano for a new cruiser to replace an older model with mechanical problems. Mediano presented three quotes last month of between $23,000 and $25,000 for a new vehicle, as well as $8,232.50 for equipment, though he revised the vehicle gear quote to around $3,700 Monday. Council had tabled the request in December, though they did approve $2,200 for a new in-car camera system. Council member Don Miller said Monday he took the pulse of Claypool residents and many did not see the need for a new vehicle. He suggested finding out the cost to repair or replace the transmission in the older cruiser before purchasing a new one, though he observed that the $500 trade-in value offered by the three dealerships might reflect the severity of the old vehicle’s mechanical issues. And council continued discussion from last month on an ordinance to address parking downtown during snow emergencies. Clerk-Treasurer Connie Morgan said the town doesn’t currently have any law on parking during snow removal, only one marking Main Street as business parking only – though three of the four signs that used to designate the area are missing. Town attorney Tom Earhart said he will gather examples of how other towns address snow emergency parking, and council set an executive meeting to discuss it at 4 p.m. Jan. 30. Utility Superintendent Gene Warner questioned whether a closed executive meeting could be held to discuss the parking, and Niki Miller, who was re-elected Monday as council president, said she believed council has that authority.
