07/29/11 The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety and the Common Council held short meetings on Monday night. Presiding over the meetings was Councilman Chuck Ripley in the absence of Mayor Mark Senter.
Councilman Mike Delp thanked Fire Chief Andy Metsker for his department’s issuance of a tornado warning sirens late Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Metsker explained that it is a county triggered alarm. Metsker said the system in place was devised by Clyde Avery (Emergency Management), area fire chiefs, area police chiefs, information from television broadcasts, reports from other counties and tips by trained weather spotters.
Metsker also presented a report on the activity of the department for the month of June. The report showed 190 fire alarm/EMS alarm responses. The majority of the alarms were for emergency medical service (142) and medical assist (20). Other calls included dispatched and cancelled en route, false alarm, malicious false alarm, mobile property (vehicle) fire, outside rubbish fire, pubic assistance, rescue or EMS standby, rescue, emergency medical call, smoke or odor problem, structure fire and unintentional system/detector operation.
Coverage for the calls totaled 1, 039.64 staff hours. The yearly totals to date for 2011 are 1,088 alarm calls and 7, 952.33 staff hours.
The Common Council unanimously approved three requests from the community. Approval was given to the Bible Baptist Church located on the corner of S. Michigan Street and Webster Ave. for handicap parking designations. The Masonic Lodge was granted permission to store golf carts inside the water tower property during the annual Blueberry Festival. Keith Hammonds, speaking on behalf of the Masons, indicated that they had used the area for several years. The Church of Christ asked to reserve portions of the public parking lot located directly south of their church building on Center Street for a community dinner to be held on August 7.
An agenda item on the Board of Public Works and Safety concerning the regulation of flood hazard areas within the city of Plymouth was once again tabled. City Attorney Nelson Chipman said the matter needs to come before the Plan Commission for approval and will be placed on the Public Works agenda for the August 8 meeting.
An ordinance to include Graceland addition to the New Oakhill Cemetery and to designate the respective price for a grave space within the addition was heard on first reading. The matter will need to be heard on 2nd and 3rd readings before it can be adopted.
The Public Works Board accepted a $2,500 financial guarantee from Price’s Cleaners concerning environmental monitoring wells. Speaking on the matter was City Engineer Rick Gaul. Gaul did not elaborate on the next steps needed to complete the project.
The agenda also listed the approval of lease agreement with D.C. Tech Solutions, LLC and Fourway Computer Products, Inc. Chipman said that there are further details to be worked out concerning the agreement which includes the placement of equipment on top of the city’s two water towers and the fire department tower.
The Common Council will hold a budget work session on August 15.
Carol Anders Correspondent
