Dierks City Council Approves Water System Improvements, Budget Updates, and Fire Department Grants
The Dierks City Council held their regular monthly meeting on Monday night, addressing several key items, including water system improvements, contract renewals, and updates on city infrastructure projects.
In the first order of business, Mayor Ronnie Cogburn presented a notice of award letter for a bid submitted for the city’s water system improvements. The bid, in the amount of $411,037.50, was awarded to RBIS, LLC, a company based in Texarkana, Texas. After discussion, Aldermen approved a motion to accept the bid as presented.
The council also approved several other motions, including a 13 percent fee increase for animal control services, a contract renewal with County Trash Services of Broken Bow, and a $500 Christmas bonus for city employees. The bonuses will be distributed during the next pay cycle.
Cogburn also provided a breakdown of costs for three proposed overlay projects: Timberlane Road ($362,200), Holly Creek ($260,866), and 800 feet south of the bridge on Arkansas Avenue ($288,391). The council suggested gathering more information before deciding which street project should be prioritized.
Later in the meeting, Fire Chief Roddy Smith provided his monthly report. For the month of October, the Dierks Fire Department responded to 13 incidents, including medical emergencies and fires. The department logged a total of 72 man hours. Chief Smith also announced that October would be his last month as Fire Chief, and he recommended that a replacement be found soon. He noted that the new Fire Chief would need to complete a CTO class, and Smith offered to serve as Fire Service Coordinator for an additional year to ensure the city continues to receive Act 833 funding.
Chief Smith also updated the council on a grant he had applied for and was awarded, along with mentioning additional fundraising efforts the fire department has undertaken to improve equipment.
The council then entered an executive session, but no action was taken when they returned to the regular meeting.
The next Dierks City Council meeting will take place in December, where further discussions on these projects and funding updates are expected.
