The Fayette Board of Aldermen worked through a wide-ranging agenda during its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 13, that included food truck inspections, July 4 parade logistics, water system changes, and an update on the city’s splash pad.

For the first time since October 2024, the meeting was attended by a full city council.

The city is expected to update its ordinance for issuing business licenses to food trucks to allow health inspections from other counties. The current ordinance dictates food trucks must pass a health inspection from Howard County before the license can be issued. But the county’s inspector works only eight hours a week, making it difficult to provide timely inspections.

Howard County Public Health Director Marsha Broadus brought the issue before the council and said she would provide the updated ordinance for the board to approve at its next meeting on Tuesday, May 27.

“We just want to make sure it’s been inspected recently,” Mayor Greg Stidham explained.

Food trucks have become more popular and are increasing in frequency in Fayette. Their mobile platforms allow them to serve customers in several communities throughout the week. They are also commonplace at events, such as Fayette’s Independence Day Party in the Park held every July 4. Critics say they interfere with brick-and-mortar restaurants that have established themselves in the community.

The city has begun moving forward with preparations for street repairs. The council approved a proposal from OWN, Inc., a local engineering firm, to inspect high-volume portions of Morrison, Davis, Spring, and Lucky streets, along with several intersections along South Church Street from the car wash to C&R Market. 

“That will be the first start on getting our streets done,” Mayor Stidham said. He estimated the cost to repair these sections to run between $300,000 and $400,000. “We have 16 miles of streets in this town. We have to start someplace.”

Fayette’s Independence Day Party in the Park organizer Tristin Head asked the city to prohibit parking along Landers Memorial Drive—the road that meanders through the city park—during the parade. When cars park along the narrow road, it causes difficulty for wider parade entrants to pass through the winding route, she said.

The parade will begin at 11 a.m. this year, with the lineup taking place at 10:30 p.m.

Once the parade is over, Mrs. Head said parking could be allowed. “It’s more about making sure we have the space to safely go through the park,” she said.

Electric Department Superintendent Sonny Conrow reported on a recent mutual aid trip to Springfield. Mr. Conrow and Electric Distribution employee Caleb Smedley were activated by MPUA as a backup crew to help restore power following 90 mph winds that knocked out service to around 50,000 people. They put up about 25 services a day during the trip. Reimbursement by FEMA will benefit the city by about $6,300, Mr. Conrow said.

Retired superintendent Marvin Hilgedick was on standby here while Messrs. Conrow and Smedley were in Springfield.

“It’s good experience for our guys, and it helps other communities while also benefiting us financially,” said Mr. Conrow.

Water Superintendent Curtis Hammons reported to the council that the regional water district is considering switching the water disinfection method from chlorine to chloramines, citing EPA pressure to reduce byproducts. The city has faced issues for years regarding levels of Trihalomethanes (THMs), chemical compounds formed when chlorine, used to disinfect water, reacts with organic matter. The city took the Givens Road water tower out of service for several years and routinely flushes water lines ahead of testing, particularly in warmer months, to keep levels down. Both towers are currently in service, but Mr. Hammons said he keeps them below full capacity to alleviate high THM levels.

Southwest Ward Alderman J.B. Waggoner raised alarm at the proposed switch and said there are a series of issues that need to be addressed should the water district make this change. “Corrosion is a big concern. And we could have health issues, too,” he said.

The change is in early discussion phases and will be brought back after further testing and engineering review.

City Administrator Deanna Cooper reported that the city has used 88.3% of its budget through 91.6% of the fiscal year. She said the city’s 2021 audit is finally complete, and the city is in a mad dash to complete the next three. 

Mrs. Cooper noted long-term planning for insurance, IT upgrades, and equipment replacement is underway, and three special budget meetings are expected over the coming months. She noted the city has not had any applications for building inspector; however, a company that contracts building inspections has made contact. “Perhaps that's an angle we can consider. We need to have a building inspector,” she said.

It was also noted that the splash pad adjacent to the city pool in the Fayette City Park is not closing. City personnel are making repairs, and the pad will open soon.

The splash pad was constructed and designed at a cost of $321,900, funded entirely through community donations. It opened in July 2022. Current repairs will be paid for from money left to a trust by the late Lucile Thurman.

In other business: the council appointed former alderwoman Peggy O’Connell and Mayor Stidham to the Historic Preservation Commission and reappointed Northwest Ward Alderman Michelle Ishmael as Mayor Pro Tem.

The Fayette Board of Aldermen meets regularly at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month in City Hall. The next meeting will be held on May 27. Meetings are open, agendas are published in advance, and the public is invited.