Correspondent

On Monday, Dec. 5th, the Cumberland Board of Mayor and Alderman discussed the trail and wastewater projects.

Gary McGill updated the board on both projects. He also requested that the board follow through with signing the contract to finish the trail with his firm. He said that by finishing the trail and furthering the project, he would be able to recover some of the money that he has put into the project by getting involved two years ago. The board voted unanimously to enter into contract with McGill and Associates in order to get the trail project finished.

Town Marshall David Honeycutt reported that the police department assisted on a couple of state agency cases; otherwise, it's been quiet for the month.

John Ravnum reported that the Victorian Christmas was a success thanks to all those who donated time, money, and food. He also noted that workhas started on several events for the upcoming year and he encouraged anyone in and around the community to get involved. Anyone wanting to volunteer can contact businesses in the town.

Joan Webb reported for the Water and Sewer Committee that there was an increase in loss of water the month. The board agreed with the report and made arrangements to look into finding the source of water loss.

Chief John Adams reported for the fire department that there were no responses this month. However, they are coming along with the installation of the smoke detectors. They hope to receive more soon in order to get them in every home in town. He also noted that they are installing after dark. Anyone wanting an evening appointment can contact the fire hall or city hall to set up an appointment.

Concerning OSHA, Adams said that the OSHA representative came in and went through the town's fire extinguishers. Several were out of date and never used since they were put in place. While this is a good thing, he noted that they needed to be replaced, not only for OSHA standards, but also for safety reasons in case of a real emergency. He also suggested using the old extinguishers in a training course on how to properly use an extinguisher.

In the way of litigation, Robert Estep, city attorney, reported that the law suit against the bonding company is ready to be filed and should be filed as of Tuesday, Dec. 6th.

Under old business the board voted and approved the specs on the backhoe which they which to purchase. It will be put out for bid immediately.

Opening the floor to citizen's comments brought on a discussion about the bridge that was damaged by a truck driver passing through the town. It was decided that the town would go ahead and fix the bridge while taking legal measures to receive compensation from the man's insurance company.

Ordinance 11-2005 was unanimously passed. This ordinance sets the city's court costs at $100 plus state taxes. While there has not been any court held in the town for over a year and a half, the board approved the ordinance on the advice of their attorney just in case that they ever need to hold court within the town.

Appointed to the EPA Board were all the members of the board as well as Estep.

It was announced that the next Study Session for the January meeting will be held on Dec. 19th and City Hall will be closed on Dec. 26-30 for Christmas vacation.