The Hogansville City Council voted unanimously  Monday to accept a bid by Crawford Grading and Pipeline to fix inoperable fire hydrants in the city.

At June’s city council meeting, the city had found that nine fire hydrants needed immediate repair.

“These are hydrants that are not currently functioning or would not function in the event of a fire,” said Mayor Bill Stankiewicz in June.

Stankiewicz said Monday night that there were two bids for the project. Crawford’s bid for the project totaled $55,035.00 and includes  valve and hydrant improvements.  The hydrants to be repaired are at Oak Street and East Boyd, Oak Street, Hawthorne Drive, Williams Road, Green Avenue, Highway 29 and West Boyd, Pine Street and West Boyd, Industrial Drive, East Main Street and Granite Street.

Stankiewicz said the water department identified possible vendors and sent out the list of hydrants to those vendors.

The only other bid was from Georgia Hydrant Services, Inc., and it was $99,000.

“Crawford was by far the lowest,” Stankiewicz said.

Architect to develop plan for

Royal Theater

The Hogansville City Council unanimously approved Carter Watkins Associates in Monroe as the architect to develop a plan for the Royal Theater.

The theater, which was built in 1937, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is currently used as Hogansville City Hall.

“This doesn’t obligate the expenditure of any funds,” Stankiewicz said. “We would negotiate with the architect and have a proposal for the scope of the work and the cost of doing that work and that would be brought to the council for their approval.”

18-wheelers causing headaches

Mayor Bill Stankiewicz said twice in the last two weeks, 18-wheelers have caused traffic problems in Hogansville because they went down streets not suitable for semis.

One of the two instances occurred when a driver was coming down Maple Street and attempted to turn on Highway 54 (Main Street) and took out a telephone pole.

“When I say took out, I mean took out,” Stankiewicz said. “That pole contained not only electric, but cable and telephone and the flashing vehicle approaching lights that the DOT maintains, and he just wiped it all out.”

The driver received multiple citations for the incident, Stankiewicz said.

This past Saturday a second 18-wheeler came through Johnson Street and got stuck on the railroad tracks.

“He got hung up on the railroad tracks and delayed a train,” he said.

That driver also received a citation from the city.

“It’s a problem,” the mayor said.

Search for city manager continues

Interviews for Hogansville’s next city manager could begin as early as next week.

The city council attempted to find a time where every council member could be at interviews next week, though a final decision on a date was not reached at Monday’s meeting.

Former Hogansville city manager James Woods was let go in May.

Stankiewicz has served as city manager since that time.

There are six candidates, but one of them lives in Maine, so only five may interview for the position.

Cat problem improves

During last month’s city council meeting, a large portion of the meeting was spent addressing a problem with cats that were roaming Granite Street.

Hogansville Police Chief Brian Harr said that problem has since been addressed.

“The person that was keeping them was cited for multiple violations,” Harr said.

“I think for the time being I’ve been informed that there is a definite improvement in the area.”