By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
Most small cities and county governments rely on state and federal grants to supplement what they receive from local taxpayers. The cost of doing business is rising for local governments for a lot of reasons.
Chiefland City Commissioners took advantage of a Congressional appropriation Monday to pay for big-ticket items that would normally have taken a chunk from their budget.
Commissioners used $27,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money on an emergency basis to pay for the replacement of a 2-inch galvanized water line from NE 5th Ave. to NE 8th Ave.
The water line was crumbling due to rust and old age. On Tuesday, May 31 Ellis Environmental & Utility Inc. started the directional bore to replace the waterline pipe. The job was completed by Friday morning. Directional means horizontal boring.
ARPA is a program approved by Congress to help cities and counties recover from the economic shutdown caused by the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Commissioners also used $70,500 in ARPA funds to reduce the cost of purchasing two Ford police cars. The city’s share of the cost was just $23,500 thanks to ARPA funding.
The total cost of the two Ford Explorers with a police equipment package was $94,000. The city originally applied for money to purchase the vehicles with a USDA grant but the agency was unable to provide any funding.
Chiefland has received its first ARPA payment of $547,000. The second payment of equal size will arrive this fall.
The cost of vehicles has risen rapidly during the past two years. There have also been substantial supply chain issues. City police won’t get the new vehicles for a while. The equipment isn’t available as quickly as it was before the supply chain issues surfaced.
City Manager Scores High
In other business, City Manager Laura Cain received high grades from four of the five city commissioners in her written evaluation. This evaluation coincided with her hiring exactly a year ago.
Mayor Chris Jones gave her number grades of mostly 4 which means she is generally exceeding performance standards
“She always maintains a positive disposition and applies herself to the community and staff in a professional manner,” Jones said. “She excels in everything and her door is always open to everyone. Our city is blessed to have someone that has her heart vested in the community.”
Commissioner Lewrissa Johns gave Cain a mix of 4s and 5s. The number five means almost always exceeding work performance standards.
“I truly enjoyed working with Laura. I feel she shares my love for the city and wants what is best overall,” Johns said.
Commissioner Lance Hayes also gave Cain a mix of 4s and 5s.
“I think she has done an excellent job as city manager,” Hayes said.
Commissioner Norm Weaver gave Cain 4s and 5s.
The lowest grades came from Commissioner Rollin Hudson, the most experienced member of the board, who gave her 3s across the board, which amounts to an average score but indicates Cain meets performance standards.
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City of Chiefland Regular Meeting June 13, 2022; Posted June 16, 2022
