Water tanks need cleaning
CITY OF ALTO
BY LELAND ACKER

Water and gas continued to be the primary issues the Alto City Council has to deal with as the council took steps to improve both systems at Monday's regular meeting. The council voted to contract with DNH Services to clean out and inspect two of the city's water tanks and to contract with Tiger Creek for gas line repairs.

DNH Services owner Dan Carman told the Alto City Council he would be willing to drain, pressure wash and inspect the interior of two water tanks for $2,500.

"My job is to protect the tanks," he said. "I'll be able to inspect them and tell you what needs to be done to maintain them, if anything."

Mr. Carman told the council he has worked on the city's water tanks before and has been inspecting and cleaning tanks since 1979. The council voted 4-0 to have him clean the tanks.

The council voted to contract with Tiger Creek for the repair of leaks in Alto's gas system and for the replacement of gas lines at the Alto Housing Authority. The city received two bids on the Alto Housing Authority, with Duplichain Contractors bidding $60,200 and Tiger Creek bidding $285 per hour. The lack of a bottom line estimate bothered some council members, but Tiger Creek's recommendation from the Texas Railroad Commission turned out to be the deciding factor.

"The railroad commission wants us to show we used people with certain qualifications," Councilman Robert Pearman said. "That will weigh heavily on our decision."

In other action, the council voted to purchase a new door that will be installed in the hallway between the front office and police department from Lowes at a cost of $1,299.93 and install a lock on that door at a cost of $300.

The door is to prevent people from entering the front office from the rear of the building by entering through the police department and municipal court offices.

The council voted to pass a one-time 50 cent charge from the Texas Railroad Commission down to its gas customers to fund the railroad commission's pipeline safety program, approved a bid from George Wallace to mow city property at a rate of $27.50 per hour, voted to auction off a 1995 red Dodge pick-up truck that is no longer being used by the utilities department and approved accounts payable.