WEBSTER COUNTY, KY (12/12/12) - A new eye catching sign near the caution light in Slaughters has had everyone talking.

At Tuesday night’s City Commission Meeting Slaughters mayor Jeff Coomes answered the question everyone has been asking. Who built it?

“It was Charlie Livingston,” Coomes told the Commissioners. “He paid for it all. He went to Central City and liked their sign, so he found out who did it.”

He said that Livingston doesn’t want any money, he just wanted to get the sign for the city.

“It’s an awesome sign,” commissioner Wayne Stallard added.

The commissioners agreed that they needed to send Livingston a letter of thanks from the city of Slaughters.

The first item of old business was the Cemetery Perpetual Fund. The city is working on moving the fund into a higher yielding account. Mayor Coomes is waiting to speak with Fifth Third Bank.

Next the commission decided to suspend the city’s Nuisance Ordinance until March.

Construction on the Slaughters City Park will be halted through the winter months. The shelter is complete and Hendricks Electric has completed installation of wiring for the lights.

The next step will be the installation of basketball goals and picnic tables. The commission is currently awaiting word on an equipment grant that could help pay for those two items. If that grant comes through the city will save $3,800 that could be used elsewhere.

“Judge Townsend’s office has sent their paperwork in, so we’re waiting on Frankfort,” said city clerk Terry Link.

Under new business the commission briefly discussed support for “Tractor Days”.

“We need to decide if we want to sponsor Tractor Days,” Coomes said. “Onton has Hay Days, Poole has Harvest Daze. I’ve talked to Debbie Winstead and she wants to get together after the first of the year and talk about it.”

As there was nothing to vote on until they had the chance to speak with Debbie Winstead, Mayor Coomes suggested they keep the item on the agenda until the next meeting.

By the time they read this, most Slaughters residents should already have received a letter from the city with their water bills about the water shutoff.

Initially the letter was going to inform customers that they are “not permitted and shall not cut the water off at the meter.”

“I know a lot of people still use the meter to cut the water off if they’re working on something,” said Commissioner Wayne Stallard.

When I leave town I shut the water off at the meter in case there’s a leak between the meter and the house. In a week you’re talking about thousands and thousands of gallons.”

After some brief discussion the commissioners decided to amend the letter to read that customers are not allowed to tamper with or alter the meter.

“Let’s talk about stamps for a minute,” Coomes said. “Their main income is from the sale of stamps, not the sale permits. The lady at the post office said that she would put the stamps on our water bills if we would buy them.”

“Right now we have a permit,” said Link. “What I do with the permit is when we print the bills, I take the number of bills and multiply that by the price of the stamps.”

“So it wouldn’t cost us any more to buy stamps,” Mayor Coomes added.

Everyone agreed that if it was better for the local post office to use stamps, then that was what they would do.

Finally City Clerk Terry Link swore in the Mayor and the Commissioners.

Currently Slaughters is short two commissioners, but Mayor Coomes is working on appointments to fill those seats.
 
Matt Hughes
J-E News Editor

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