Heather Regan White / The American Press

WESTLAKE— At their monthly meeting, Monday, the Council here accepted a $499,360 bid from Mid South Water, LLC, for the construction of a new Jones Street water well.

Contractors will bore under Jones Street to tie the new well in with the existing Jones Street well. Mayor Bob Hardey said this will leave a spare well, and allow for the city to sell more water to Sasol. 

Project costs will be covered by $550,000 in state funds and $150,000 from Sasol.

The Council also extended the city’s solid waste collection contract with Waste Management for five years. In negotiations between the city and the company, Waste Management asked for a 3 percent increase in fees for each of the next three years. 

The final agreement lays out no increase this year, a 2 percent increase next year, and a 3 percent increase the third year, with the stipulation that rates cannot increase more than 3 percent a year.

Financial Director Jerry Milner reported that every department is within its budget for the month. He said some money marked for the golf course will be used for the new emergency response center, as the bid came in about half-a-million dollars above what was projected. 

He assured the Council that anticipated home sales at the golf course will cover that transfer. 

The mayor reported that drainage and road work is currently underway for the first 60-home subdivision at the course. 

Contractors are clearing the trees they can sell and will burn, on-site, what they can’t, in other sections of the course. He said workers will then move across to the north entrance road and clear those trees, and then on to other sections. “We’re hoping by the first of the year, they take down (trees on) the other 90 acres where there will be additional houses,” said Hardey.

Hardey also reported that he projects a groundbreaking for the planned Westlake Veterans Memorial, Park to be located on about 60 acres of land, west of Pinderosa Park and the baseball complex, for mid-November.