By Stephanie Johns
Staff Writer

The City of Bostwick made about $12,500 from its annual Cotton Gin Festival in November.
Councilwoman Angie Howard said they had 181 runners participate in the Gin Run.
“That’s double-plus numbers in the past,” she said.
She noted that she already has mailed out applications to vendors for this year’s festival.

Mayor John Bostwick thanked her for her work on the festival.
Bostwick reported that the demolition of the Bostwick Community Center is about half done.

He said they will cut off and cap the well behind the center. He shared that several people want the bricks and that he plans to chip off the concrete and stack the bricks.
As to the slab of the building, Bostwick said he and Councilman Damon Malcom have talked about leaving it, but they do not think that is a good idea. Council members agreed that the slab could go as it is included in the current demolition costs.

Howard asked about the possibility of saving the flagpole in front of the center. She reminded those present about a memorial they once talked about creating. That memorial would utilize the flagpole, she said.

Malcom said the flagpole needs to come down. Bostwick agreed and said if it breaks they can buy another.
Bostwick then said he had a lot of people wanting to do community service. He asked council members for suggestions as to what type of work they need done.
Howard suggested they paint the concrete at the dump, clean out and paint the well house, and work where the gazebo and picnic tables have been damaged. She added that there is trash in the Susie Agnes Hotel, which is where city hall is now, that could be removed.

Council members also discussed redoing the hotel floors. Howard suggested that since they are redoing a portion of the floors upstairs, they might as well redo the floors in the front room, up the stairs, and around back.

She also wants to purchase about two dozen nicer chairs for the community side of the building. Bostwick suggested she look into the types of chairs she wants and they could buy them.

One citizen shared a request via Councilman Ken Johnson that the city notify customers about when it plans to flush the water lines.
The citizen said mud came through the lines and ruined some items in the wash. That same citizen suggested the city put information pertaining to upcoming flushes on the water bills, Johnson said.

Malcom explained that they flush the lines weekly, alternating from one side of the street to the other from week to week.
Bostwick suggested a city employee go by and inform that citizen in person when his lines will be flushed.
Howard suggested they ask the citizen about the consistency of mud coming through the lines so as to determine if it is the citizen’s lines that might contain the mud.
Johnson also asked about the city’s junk and trash ordinance.

Bostwick assured Johnson that they have one but that following up is “hit or miss.” He said Morgan County enforces the city’s code.
“We have to determine when we want to turn someone over (to the county),” he said. No determination was made during their January meeting.

In other news:
• They voted to accept Morgan County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan as their own.
• The city still is trying to find a way to put the old post office boxes in the restored post office.

Printed in the January 10, 2013