Mayor Schumpert discussed getting a quote for the cost of refurbishing the exterior of the water tank.

During the regular Jan. 17 meeting, Mayor Schumpert said DHEC performed the annual inspection.

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Water rates in Elko are scheduled to rise slightly.
At the regular Jan. 17 meeting, Elko Town Council unanimously approved the second reading of ordinance 1-11 to raise the flat water rate $2, from $11 to $13.
“Two dollars isn’t a big jump,” Mayor Marty Schumpert said. “We haven’t had an increase in at least five years. We’ve been doing pretty well.”
From the December minutes, Town Clerk Virginia Mills read how Mayor Schumpert and Mills studied the financials and realized the town was not taking in enough money.
The water rate increase was necessary “due to the economics of operating the water system” and to bring in additional revenue to maintain it, Mayor Schumpert said.
The third and final reading is scheduled for the regular Feb. 21 meeting.
In other business:
-The town of Snelling gave the town of Elko its old Christmas decorations because Snelling got new decorations.
-Council unanimously approved the financial report for December 2011. The report included water works and town financials.
Mayor Schumpert said the report included the normal monthly expenditures besides a “big hit” for Keith Sloan on accounting for $1,250.
-The Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) performed the annual inspection around mid-December, and the town has not “heard back from them yet, but it was a good inspection,” said Mayor Schumpert.
Mayor Schumpert said DHEC requires the inside of the water tank to be inspected every three years instead of every five years as he formerly thought.
When DHEC informed the town, the inspection took place Jan. 5, said Mayor Schumpert. “The interior on the inside of the tank was in excellent shape.”
-Mayor Schumpert also discussed getting another quote to refurbish the exterior of the water tank and to paint some fire hydrants around town.
“The hydrants are faded real bad,” said Mayor Schumpert. “Before they get too deteriorated, we need to paint them.”
-The Farmer’s Market is scheduled to re-open in April or May, said Mayor Schumpert. “I think we’ve been fairly successful.”