Hickman officials sign off on revised EMS agreement

Hickman City Commissioners met for their final meeting of 2020 on Dec. 28, at Hickman City Hall, with Commissioners John Wiley Gannon, Robert Griggs, Judy Powell, and Mayor Heath Carlton meeting in person. Commissioner Rob Hitesman attended via Zoom.

Commissioners heard and adopted Resolution 20-146, Ken-Tenn EMS Agreement, allowing Ken-Tenn EMS to work within the city of Hickman.

Hickman City Manager David Gallagher explained the reason for the revised agreement.

“South Fulton requested the updated Agreement, with an annual accounting of the money collected. This may create some cost to the City, but it shouldn’t be much. South Fulton withheld their signing of the agreement because they wanted a veto power of any rate increase that the ambulance service had. But that is not how the ambulance service is set up. The cities and county do not vote on the rate change. That comes from the ambulance. We are a pass through. We don’t set the rates. The residents just bring us the money and we pass along to the ambulance service,” Gallagher said.

“A lot of people don’t realize ambulance service is not considered an essential service. The police and the fire are, but not the ambulance,” Commissioner Griggs said.

Mayor Carlton said he had encouraged all the residents of Hickman to continue paying for the EMS service.

“We hope you never need it, but it will be available when needed,” he said.

Resolution 20-147 was also heard and adopted by the Commissioners, to manage the Service Agreement with Twin Oaks for computer systems at Hickman City Hall and the water plant.

City Manager Gallagher reported cameras are up at the sewer plant for security and the police patrol the area also.

“We may want to consider placing a camera at the dog pound also,”Gallagher said.

“There is no change in Meatworks at this time. It will probably be March or April before the new gas meter will be placed for Tokai’s new addition. There was a sewer issue on Wednesday, but it has been resolved. Work started on a ditch on Broadway Street. The ditch needs to be cleared of debris and a culvert needs to be placed to allow the water to run freely. I will check with the State Road Department on this,”Gallagher reported.

To conclude his report, the City Manager updated the commission on a contact made with Harshaw Trane two months ago about sending someone to look at the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) at the water plant .

“They haven’t sent any one as of tonight,” Gallagher reported.

Commissioner Powell addressed the mayor and commissioners regarding her final meeting, serving as a commissioner.

“It is bittersweet that tonight is my last night as a Commissioner. The town is looking better and I credit public works. We have a fine police department, fire department and ambulance service. I am not retiring and will still be involved,”she said.

Powell congratulated Hickman Chief of Police Tony Grogan for receiving his Bachelor’s degree in Business from Bethel College.

Powell also thanked Donna Haney and others in the City Hall office for their dedicated work.

Mayor Carlton then reflected on the past two years working with the Commission.

“It has been a tough two years for the City. When the Commission first came on board, we had a city manager to leave, and went into the process of trying to find a new city manager. During this time, we had a bunch of rains and storms, flooding and landslides. A street slide on Terrace Drive. We had a former Fulton City Manager, Cubb Stokes, enter into interim service for a while. Then a former county judge/executive and city manager as well, reach out and express an interest, which we jumped on and have been riding pretty hard lately and appreciate all you do for us David,” Carlton said.

“We rounded the corner of that first year and close to the end we lost a Commissioner, Phillip Williams to a car wreck and had to reach out and appoint someone to fill the position, which Rob Hitesman did and has done a great job. Going into 2020, and you end up with COVID-19. This killed the plan for public works for having the mowing done. We were able to get a good group of guys, behind the direction of the city manager and the cemetery and parks look better than they have in a while. Then we lost another Commissioner, James Adams. We then had to fill his position with the appointment of John Wiley Gannon. Not only was Adams a commissioner, but the director of the Hickman Recreation Tourism Commission and involved in a lot of activities around town and in his church,” Carlton said.

“Then we lost Martha Campbell, Executive Director of the Hickman Chamber of Commerce and strong advocate for the City of Hickman. This two year Commission has faced a lot of hard times, we pulled together, and got the right people in the right places,” Carlton continued.

“There were a lot of positives. We were able to secure the Tokai expansion. Hopefully, Kentucky Meatworks will get everything lined up and be able to get started and add new jobs to the community. To be able to hold on to companies like Tokai and Insteel is good for our town,” Carlton said, adding he was looking forward to working with Alicia Esters, as she will join the Commission in January, with new insights and new energy.

Commissioner Hitesman said, “On my short time of being on this Commission, I’m very impressed with the leadership of Heath (Carlton), David (Gallagher), and Donna (Haney) and the improvements to the City of Hickman.

Mayor Carlton said he is excited about the Chamber and the Tourism Committee working together, especially after seeing the work at the Jeff Green Memorial Park this past Christmas.