Former Henderson Fire Department Chief, Greg Lipford, had his resignation accepted by the City of Henderson Mayor and board of Aldermen during other business in the city’s August meeting.
The city is now hiring for the position.
With the position vacant, the city board discussed the hiring process. In that time, they changed the fire chief’s schedule to where the fire chief, henceforth, would work a Monday-Friday, 40 hour week between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
HFD Senior Chaplain Gary Roeder made a request on behalf of the HFD for the city to extend the 5-mile radius of City Hall that the fire chief must live within, so that Deputy Chief Kevin Roeder would qualify to be chief.
“I would like for y’all to consider Deputy Chief Roeder for that position. I know that there is a mileage restriction but with the times that we have today with communications, with our training, that can be taken care of very easily by radio, by phone or by whatever. Nine-tenths of a mile is not much in distance, and I would appreciate y’alls consideration of Deputy Chief Roeder,” he said.
The aldermen also discussed the request made to the city by Edgard Macias of Atzimba Mexican Restaurant to establish a food truck on the closed alley on the left side of Sue Shelton White Park.
At the end of the discussion, the aldermen denied the request because the setup would have to be able to be taken down and be movable if city fire or other first responders needed to use that alley. Macias asked how it was different from Besso’s Coffee and how they use the alley next to their building, and the city mentioned how it was different due to the fact that 1) they own the building next to the alley and 2) their set up is movable if first responders were to need to use the alley.
During their meeting, the city approved the consideration of an ordinance on the final reading amending the 2022-2023 Budget to correct an omission in the Police Department Budget concerning the equipment purchase line item.
The city board also approved the City Employee’s Health Insurance matching rate effective January 1 that proposes the city pay 90% of the premium to help with costs plus $167 city monthly contribution to employee’s HAS (health savings account).
The board approved on the first reading an ordinance amending Title 5, Chapter 5 of the Municipal Code pertaining to “Purchasing.”
The purchase of a utility department skid loader was approved.
The purchase of a fork fram and backhoe was approved as long as it is on the state property purchase agreement.
City reporter Jim Garland also told the city board that the city applied for the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBG) which would be used to repave West Main Street. He mentioned how Main Street is not in bad condition currently, but that it would need to be done in the future and this grant saves the city from having to come up with all of those funds.
