By Chris Huntington

MILLVILLE -- The City Council passed a unanimous resolution at Thursday's meeting that will ensure the completion of sidewalks and other unfinished improvements in the Millville Hill subdivision.

The council accepted a proposal from Milton Anderson, representing Shepherd Engineering, to open an escrow account with American Security Title in order to fund the completion of the project. Anderson's proposal would make it possible for the city to allow its own line of credit to expire. The city obtained its own line of credit as a fallback plan in the event that the project was not finished.

Council member Duane Harvey moved that the council give Anderson until Sept. 28, the day the city's line of credit expires, to have the money in the escrow account, and that a letter should be prepared by Recorder Rose Mary Jones that will allow the city to draw on its own line of credit if Anderson does not have the money in the account by then.

"If he doesn't get the money in there then we draw on the credit and finish the job," said Harvey.

The council felt the resolution was fair and gave the city a safe plan to fall back on.

"Let's have our bases covered," said council member Rodney Hobbs.

The council and Anderson had different opinions on the extent of the work needed to complete the project. A final decision was not made at the meeting however; the council and Anderson debated the topic at length.

"If it is an issue of safety, there is no question I'll pull up the side walk and replace it," said Anderson. "But if it's only an issue of aesthetics, those are the things I'd like to discuss."

Hobbs expressed his concern that the "job be done right." The specific safety concerns that Hobbs addressed are sections of raised sidewalk and some divider boards that are raised above the level of the sidewalk. Anderson offered to cut the divider boards level with the sidewalk, but Hobbs said that the areas "ought to be replaced."

The council also took issue with the cost estimates provided by Shepherd Engineering.

"I don't think this is enough," said Hobbs, "to pull up the streets, place culverts under driveways, and then replace them." Anderson told the council there where some things in the estimates that would need to be adjusted.

The council said that it simply wants to have the job completed in order to avoid any problems that may be caused by the safety hazzards.

"We've got twice as many families up there this year which means twice as many problems," council member Mike Johnson said.

Anderson said that he understands the city's concerns and that he too wants to see the project completed.

"Nobody has a greater interest in having a grade-A subdivision than I do," Anderson told the council.

Anderson was added to the agenda for the Oct. 7 council meeting, when the issue will be discussed further.

The council also passed a resolution to appoint a city nuisance inspector. In most cities the chief of police takes on the role of nuisance inspector, however, since Millville has no chief of police, it is necessary for the city to appoint its own nuisance inspector. It was moved and passed that Hobbs and Mayor Gale Hall be appointed as co-nuisance inspectors with the duty of "enforcing the provisions of the council."

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