Dyer assistant fire chief retires
By Cara Zarecor
At the onset of the all-present City of Dyer Mayor and Board of Alderpersons meeting last week, Mayor Chris Younger opened his report with a request for the members to entertain a motion to accept the retirement of Assistant Fire Chief Bob Moore.
Unsuspecting board members seemed saddened and shocked as they asked Moore, “Are you sure this is what you want?” Moore hesitantly answered, “I’ve always enjoyed it. I’ve been there for years, but it’s probably time.”
Alderman Fred Ivie, along with others, was moved to tears as he told Moore, “We love you, man.”
Moore will continue to serve Dyer as an alderman.
In the police report, Chief Brad Lindsey said that he had spoken to Area Wide Communications, whose fee to update police radios would be $25 each for 15 radios, plus an $80 service fee to come to Dyer to perform the updates all at once. Lindsey also asked, and the board unanimously approved, the purchase of $1,000 worth of ammunition for the department.
In the water and sewer operations report, on behalf of Water and Wastewater Superintendent Randy Gregory, City Recorder Nathan Reed gave details of two leaking suction lines needing immediate repair at the wastewater station.
“It’s hard to draw suction and it’s causing the pumps to work overtime,” Reed explained. “The only thing that’s possible that we can’t approve without your help is a crane to lower these pipes in straight.” Reed said that a small crane may cost around $500, but if a larger crane is needed, the cost will be more.
Realizing the sense of urgency to get the pipes properly replaced before the pumps wear out, the board unanimously approved spending up to $2,500 on a crane service.
In new business, the board approved the first reading of an ordinance revising city employee vacation leave policy, followed by an approval to spend up to $7,499 on concrete for sidewalks and $10,000 to PRI for asphalt repair.
Younger asked for and received unanimous approval to cancel both the Dec. 14 and 28 regular board meetings, citing, “There’s not anything pressing, as far as we know right now. With the spike in COVID-19 coming up, unless there’s something that absolutely has to be done, we can call an emergency meeting.”
Younger announced that he was “abolishing all committees until the first meeting in January” when new committees can be formed. He said that he is leaving the Finance, Administration and Personnel Committee in place, however, in the instance that board members should need to meet between now and the first January meeting. Alderman Ray Carroll will chair that committee and all other board members will be on that committee in the interim.
Younger said that on January 11, 2021, during the first board meeting of the year, there will also be a swearing-in ceremony for all the members.
“In the meantime, I will be appointing a new city attorney. He will probably be here that night,” Younger added.
Younger reminded everyone that in addition to the December meetings being canceled, the city employee Christmas party would also be canceled, but that the Christmas parade was still scheduled to go on as planned.
After the members unanimously approved to pay the accounts, the meeting was adjourned.
