Timpson Council moves lift station project forward

The Timpson City Council approved plans to replace two lift stations for the city sewer system at the Tuesday, March 19 meeting. The city applied for and received a Texas Community Block Grant with help from GLS Construction.

The city has garnered permission from landowners for one of the lift stations, but encountered difficulties locating the landowner for the second. The council voted to sign off on the construction plans, allowing the public notice to be published in The Light and Champion and keeping the project moving forward to improve city services to residents. Both lift stations are in the vicinity of each other, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has approved the plans.

A recent water notice was sent to Timpson water customers via Shared on social media. The notice reads to inform of a test failure, though not a failed water test, but a tardy report. The report, submitted once every 6-12 months, missed the submission deadline, forcing the city to send out notices. While these TCEQ notices read like a water test failure, the city wanted to be very clear that the water test for Lead / Copper has passed and has been well within the specifications of TCEQ.

“The guys are human (utility department employees), and it happens. It is unfortunate when a missed deadline forces us to send out these types of notices when nothing is wrong with the Lead / Copper test,” said Mayor Debra Pate Smith. According to the mayor, Timpson has been reporting Lead / Copper PPM (parts per million) to TCEQ for the past two years and has not failed a test.

Timpson resident Tad Bailey addressed the council with an under three-minute request championing citizen appreciation. “I’m not talking about naming a street after someone, just a resolution of appreciation,” said Bailey. Using resident Scotty Rhodes as an example, Bailey suggested that from time to time, the city recognizes outstanding citizens in the form of a simple document, a resolution. Baily presented a mock resolution to support his suggestion.

“Timpson has produced and continues to produce remarkable people,” said Bailey. “I’m talking about the people that make Timpson the special little town it is.”

Though the council could not vote on the suggestion because it was not on the action portion of the agenda, Mayor Smith stated that it would be placed on an upcoming agenda. She was all for recognizing outstanding Timpson citizens.

Timpson council briefly covered the upcoming election on May 4, 2024. Candidate ballot placement was selected based on a random drawing.

Penny Ramsey (I) Al Skinner Teri Lea Alexander (I) Rachel Edwards Two council positions, as well as the mayor’s place, will be represented on the ballot. Mayor Smith is unopposed for a renewed term. The last day to register to vote is April 4, 2024, and early voting begins on April 22 and continues through April 30.

Rounding out the meeting, a driveway on Hwy. 87 inside the Timpson city limits was damaged when city crews fixed a leak in the city water line. The damage to the driveway, though not the responsibility of the city, will receive a little road material and packing to help restore the resident’s only access to their homes. The road material is currently in inventory for the city, and the overall job should take less than an hour to complete.