Weaver, AL – A special called City Council Meeting was held 5/30/2023 at 6:00 pm to discuss water options.
- Roll Call
- Councilmember Clint Burns – Present
- Councilmember Tim McRae – Present
- Councilmember Cathy Hamby – Absent
- Mayor Pro Tem Nick Bowles – Present
- Councilmember Terri Summerlin – Present
- Mayor Jeff Clendenning – Present
The City of Weaver has been attempting to hire a an individual for the position of Lead Man for some time with no serious inquires as of Friday, 5/26/2023, when this special was called via a special waiver due to short notice. Current Public Works Director, Joey Conger is set to work his last day on July 19th, 2023. There is not currently a level two employee to handle the required work for the water department. The first option that was discussed were hiring a management company to handle the administrative tasks associated with the water maintenance. The city would still be responsible for all labor and the Calhoun County Water Authority had agreed previously to loan a level two worker to assist with the work required of that level. At this tie the city did not have current bids for the cost of hiring an outside management company.
The secondary option is to purchase water from the Anniston Water Works & Sewer Board (AWWSB) . This would entail shutting down the current wells in Weaver. Ed Turner, General Manager for the Anniston Water Works & Sewer Board, was present to discuss costs, water supply, and answer questions. The total cost for 18,000,000 gallons per month was $26,000. There would be a reduction in labor cost for the city due to purchasing from a third party and the water provided is currently above EPA standards. Weaver is currently under a preliminary advisory with the EPA for the levels of PFSA compounds. There is no required cleaning imposed by the EPA at this time and water has been deemed safe to drink. Councilman Tim McRae verified that there is always the possibility that AWWSB could get a preliminary advisory and that if Weaver went that direction costs for cleaning would be paid by customers ultimately. Mr. Turner agreed however pointed out that if Weaver stays with their own water the costs for cleaning the water would fall squarely on the shoulders of the 2,100 accounts in Weaver vs AWWSB spreading those costs out over a much larger account base. There were not hard numbers discussed as these were theoretical discussions. Mr. Turner also stated the AWWSB was willing to help shoulder the costs of the current ADECA grant the city holds and work out a 20 year payback plan. There was also discussion that with the current water setup AWWSB would be able to supply all the needed water with no major infrastructure changes needed at this time.
A third option also emerged as an applicant that is rated a level four did apply for the lead man position this week and passed the Weaver Civil Service test the same day of the meeting. This interview process has not been completed and no decision has been made, however it did offer the possibility to continue as is with this new employee and the current water production. The tentative discussion was that whoever is hired in the leadman position possibly would be interested in applying for the Public Works Director Position that would be vacant in July. Regardless of if this position is filled the council made it clear that the possibility of purchasing water could still be a viable option now or in the future. A request was made of Joey Conger to find out the exact cost of producing water currently so that there could be a side by side comparison with purchasing water. The council was very vocal about not wanting to increase the cost of water however realistic with the current state of water and the rising costs of keeping the water clean increases were likely in the future.
No decisions were reached, but a plan of action was made to look at the numbers and see one the next four years which is the most cost effective for the city and the residents while providing the best quality of water.
