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THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2000 <br />more user friendly and to bring the language in it in compliance with current Federal and State laws. <br /> <br />He also noted that the new manuals would be in loose-leaf binders with appendices. <br /> <br /> Council next considered discussion of the budget for the Water Resources Department. Mr. <br />John Dyches, Director of Water Resources, began his presentation by pointing out that the reduction <br />in the overall budgets and revenues in both the Water and Sewer funds had eliminated the capability <br />of these funds to provide transfers to bolster the General Fund or other funds. He also pointed out <br />that the City's water and sewer rates were among the lowest in the state, and that the recent loss of <br />revenue from the closure of the City's largest textile firm and water user further illustrated that the <br />City's current water and sewer rates were unrealistically low, and that the systems could not be <br />properly operated and maintained with the amount of revenues generated by the current rates. <br />Council Member Haskell asked what the operational impact would be from the loss of the three <br />positions that Mr. Dyches was showing as untilled. Mr. Dyches replied that the workload situation <br />should not be a problem, in that there was less sludge to process due to the reduction of color <br />treatment requirements related to the shut down of Tultex operations, and there was less need to <br />interact with textile industry officials. Mr. Dyches also discussed a planned lagoon revision project at <br />the Water Plant, stating that this project would result in the elimination of both discharge of material <br />into the adjacent creek and the required permit to do so, as well as the elimination of periodic odor <br />problems related to the cleaning of these settling lagoons. In noting the tightness of the Water <br />Resources budget proposed for the coming year Council Member Haskell stated that the key to <br />success would be to avoid emergencies, with which Mr. Dyches agreed. He added that there were <br />some major system repair and maintenance issues that needed to be addressed, but that they would try <br />to hold off on these for one more year. Council Member Dallas cited his concern about recent <br />problems with some storm drainage pipes in the city, and Mr. Dyches pointed out that the ones in <br />question were found throughout the city, and were old corrugated metal pipes on private property, <br /> <br /> <br />