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James Obermyer, with HydraPro, speaks to Jacksboro City Council members during their Monday, Dec. 12 meeting. Obermyer gave an update on how the automated water meter transition was going. Photo/Brian Smith
An update on the automated water meter project was given at the Jacksboro City Council meeting Monday, Dec. 12.
James Obermyer, with Hydra Pro, the company working on the meters, said the company has been working since Thanksgiving on the project and is in his fourth week in town.
He said three installers have been working and are about 50-60% complete. He said he expects to be in town through next month working on automating meters.
He said only about 15%of the meters are actually changed out, which slows down the process with most of the project changing out the registers. City Manager Mike Smith said city workers have been digging up and helping speed the process where they can to help the company use their time the best they can.
Obermyer said first reads will be done this week for those homes who are completed.
“The project has not been without its hiccups with supply chain issues,” Smith said. “It’s gone pretty smooth.”
In other news, Friends of the Animal Shelter have urged the city to move out of their present temporary shelter at the airport and move to a temporary building on the shelter site.
StarKinderwiththegroup said there are really nothing wrong with either place but cleaning pens would be easier with drainage at the temporary shelter on the shelter site. Having the animals at the shelter also keeps them safer as people have to go through two locked gates, Kinder said.
Kinder said she has concerns about the animals health and wellbeing at the hangar with the planes taking off.
Smith countered the noise at the construction site won’t be a lot better once construction gets started, for which no date has been set yet. Moving the animals to the airport allowed for them to get settled quicker and kept them from being transported multiple times.
After a somewhat heated discussion, the item was tabled and will be brought up again at the council’s Jan. 9 meeting. In a related item, the city’s Dec. 26 meeting was canceled.
Council members also approved the purchase of a skid steer. The purchase was in last year’s budget, but it took some time to find one. One has been found at a cost of $63,292.53 and is on the way, Smith said.
A contract with the county to provide election services was entered into for the May election. Spots up for election are Place 2 Brandon Sisson, Place 4 Joel Hood and Mayor Craig Fenter. The first day to file is Jan. 18, 2023.
The council set interview dates for a new City Secretary. Four candidates were scheduled to be interviewed Dec. 14-15.
