City Departmental reports for Sept.
Public Works Department
The Olney Public Works Department repaired 14 water line leaks and seven wastewater leaks or sewer stops in September, according to the department’s monthly report to the City Council. The water treatment plant produced 18.5 million gallons and treated 7.9 million gallons of wastewater, the report showed. The City billed for 17.5 million gallons of water used with a discrepancy of 1.03 million gallons, the report showed. Active water meters rose to 1,844, up from 1,558 meters in November of 2022. The lake level was 1,131 feet or 52 percent capacity - just about a foot above the point where a City ordinance requires a mandatory Drought Contingency Phase 3 declaration, Public Works Director Michael Jacoba told the Council on Oct. 23.
Public Works crews picked up 42 loads, cleared trash from four locations on Main Street, cleared tree limbs in 10 locations, and patched 164 potholes in September, Mr. Jacoba reported. Crews also mowed Restland and Pioneer Cemeteries once and Tommy Perkins and Tom Griffin parks twice during the month, the report said.
Police Department The Olney Police Department responded to 129 calls for service, made 14 arrests, issued 87 warnings and 36 citations, the OPD’s report for September showed. K9 Bond deployed five times during the month, making four detections and locating a gummy in a plastic bag in a student’s backpack, the report showed. K9 Bond assisted in one arrest and the seizure of one contraband item, the report showed. Code enforcement issued four written warnings, seven citations, 19 door hangers, and tagged nine cars in September, the report showed. The owner of the gas station at 301 W. Main St. signed a contract with the City to remove the discarded tires, and all tires have been removed from the location and transported to the waste station, the report said. Cpl. Joe Logan issued 16 permits, responded to 29 calls for service, performed 11 residential inspections and one commercial inspection, and performed 21 residential code enforcement and two commercial code enforcement actions, the report said. The City will begin tearing down condemned structures starting next month at a rate of four per month as code enforcement works through a list of derelict properties, Police Chief Dan Birbeck told the City Council.
Animal control left two door hangers, took 23 animals to the Graham Humane Society, trapped 14 animals, and responded to 32 calls for service in September, the report said. Olney EMS received 62 calls for service and the Olney Volunteer Fire Department received 22 calls for service in September, the report showed.
City Administrator The City of Olney has $564,618.88 remaining from its American Rescue Plan Act, federal funds that must be obligated by Dec. 31, 2024 and spent by Dec. 31, 2026, the City’s general administrative report for September showed. The City Council spent $203,181.12 in fiscal year 2023. The Council has approved the purchase of a dump trailer, asphalt roller, radar feedback sign, and three Dodge Durangos with some of the remaining ARPA funds. City Administrator Arpegea Pagsuberon scored a $24,546,06 grant from Nortex and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for a clamp bucket to assist city crews in picking up large debris and tearing down condemned structures. The Texas Transportation Commission increased its contribution to the Routine Airport Maintenance Program (RAMP) to $100,000 which reduces the City’s match to 10 percent, the report showed. The City proposed amending a $350,000 state grant it received to move sewer lines from beneath Elm Street to the alley to instead reconstruct 550 feet of Western Avenue near the low-income housing projects, the report said. The sewer lines have already been moved, and reconstructing the dilapidated roadway would free up city crews to attend to a dead-end water line on Elm Street that must be flushed at least every 30 days to prevent bacterial contamination in the water system, the report said. The City plans to loop this water line into the line on Avenue O to fix the situation, the report said.
The City Administrator has submitted grant applications to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for $70,000 to relocate the Olney Police Station to the Ranger College building and for $291,000 to replace the municipal swimming pool. The owner of 301 W. Main St. has paid the City $13,440 for removing about 2,000 tires from the property. Public Works is processing about 180-200 tires per day with the new tire cutter, and foresees completion of the project within six months, the administrator’s report said. The City received a quote of nearly $1,000 for four months to rent scaffolding to protect visitors to the old Olney City Hall on South Grand Avenue from stucco falling from the building’s facade. Mrs. Pagsuberon said she is still looking into how to fund repairs to the building, which now houses County offices.