Durham supports swimming program
Contributing writer
At the Durham City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 3, Mayor Glennon Crowther read a letter from the Hillsboro-Lehigh-Durham school district asking the city to support a summer swimming program for students from Durham and Lehigh.
Asked the level of support the council had decided upon last year, Crowther said they had contributed $200. Funds donated by city governments and civic groups is used to pay a bus driver to transport students to the pool, a high school student to act as lifeguard, and other expenses.
Reinhold Winter moved to donate $200 for the program. On a second from Ben Goertz, the motion carried unanimously.
Marvin Rediker, water supervisor, reported 376,980 gallons of water pumped in May. Lift pumps ran 51 hours.
Verlin Sommerfeld said meters recorded 317,320 gallons.
"I think we have a leak somewhere," said Rediker, "but I can't find it. We jumped about 6,000 gallons in two days, and Pete [Sommerfeld] couldn't find it on the meters. If anybody sees water running somewhere, let me know."
Sommerfeld reported three water customers have not paid their bills. Asked by the mayor if those were the same people who had not paid last month, Sommerfeld replied that one of them is.
Cindy Nuss appeared at the meeting to express concerns about security and storm safety. She was told that the city is unlikely to install a tornado siren, but Agri-Producers, Inc. has agreed to allow use of the elevator basement as a community storm shelter.
Crowther has a key to unlock the facility when storms are imminent. He plans to seek permission to make a few copies of the key in case he is not available when access is needed.
The mayor brought up the possibility of trying to hire an off-duty police officer or sheriff's deputy to do random patrols in Durham and to enforce city ordinances. The consensus was that it would be necessary to appoint a judge and set up a city court.
Crowther was authorized to investigate this option to find what it would entail and whether it is feasible. In discussing the issue council members expressed concerns about ordinances being ignored, particularly the dog ordinance.
After a motion by Gary Unruh seconded by Sommerfeld, the council voted to send flowers to Mike Sorensen, fellow council member who is undergoing cancer treatment at a Tulsa, Oklahoma, hospital.
Among bills approved for payment was $158.50 for a supply of flags. The council also decided to approve drawing a check to K & K Gravel for rock to be issued when their bill is received.
