Posted: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 12:00 pm

By JIM MANSFIELD
Special to the Press
GLEASON — Bryan Barker from Barker Brothers Waste asked the city to approve a 5 percent annual rate increase that includes a once-a-month pickup for a 30-yard open top container.
The container is used by the public works department and by residents for large objects, such as old mattresses and appliances.
“You can put just about anything in there (the container) except old tires or anything that has Freon in it,” Barker said.
Barker said tires and Freon are exceptions because of environmental regulations.
The city was given the option of choosing a 4 percent rate increase that did not include the container or a 5 percent increase that did.
“That stuff (larger trash items) has to go somewhere and if it doesn’t go in the container then it’ll end up on our streets,” alderman Kris Morse said.
A motion was made to accept the 5 percent increase, with the container, and it passed by a 5-0 vote.
Public Works director Dale Stevens said the Gibbs Street water tank is repaired and back in service. He added the Highway 22 tank was shut down so that a depth control valve could be replaced.
Further, he reported the 16-foot trailer being used by the city for recycling has not been returned by UTM Recycling in Martin. He said if they were going to use the trailer, then the city would have to pay for gasoline and about one and a half hours of labor – about $30 roundtrip.
“I’ll see if we can make some definite arrangements and let you know something,” Stevens told the board.
Ronny Arnold, a Gleason insurance agent and Rotary Club member, asked permission to establish a golf driving range in Mike Snider Park.
“We’d like to sow rye grass there and lay out a grid,” Arnold said. “Later, we want to see how much it would cost to add lighting.”
Morse said she thought the driving range would be an asset to the park. The request was granted by a 4-0 vote, with alderman Charles Bookout abstaining because he is also a Rotary Club member.
Fire Chief Jerry Connell said the fire department is planning a fund raiser for May 28 and the citywide yard sale will be May 5.
Police Chief Jeff Hazelwood said he wants to wait before hiring any new police officers until questions regarding state grant money to help pay for training are answered. Hazelwood said he was pleased with the recent hiring and interview process and especially pleased with the performances of the final candidates.
Assistant Police Chief David King said he had spoken to Shelia Little at the grant center in Dresden.
“She said that any person receiving a training grant had to be unemployed for at least 30 days and that the grants would cover 320 hours of job field training – with a maximum of $4,000 per trainee,” King said. “The police department has to provide a weekly lesson plan to be eligible for these grants. We have to make sure we do our part if our officers do theirs.”
Hazelwood said when the grants are in place he will make his final recommendations to the board – possibly at a special called meeting before the regular March meeting.
Hazelwood asked the board for permission to sell five cars/trucks being kept in the city impound lot and put the money into the police department’s drug fund. The plan passed 5-0.
Gleason city recorder Angela Hunt will receive her Certified Municipal Finance Officer certificate on Friday.
The board also approved the promotion of John Hilliard to sergeant with the police department and appointed April Lieberman to director of community development, a non-salaried position.
Editor’s note: For more on Hilliard’s promotion, please see Thursday’s print edition of the Press.

Published in The WCP 2.19.13