LANETT — The City of Lanett has entered into a contract with a private company to operate its waste water treatment plant. Clear Water Solutions will operate the plant on an annual contract in the amount of $208,100.

The city spent just under $340,000 in operating the plant last year.

Mayor Kyle McCoy and members of the council were sold on the idea that it’s better to contract the service to a private firm that can do it at less cost than the city can.

The action was taken in a unanimous vote.

The contract includes a base fee adjustment schedule that extends over the next four years at a rate not to exceed three percent. In the year 2022 the total fee could rise to $228,755.

The city will still own the plant, the present city employees who run the plant will be retained, and if there’s ever a fine for something that took place when Clear Water was running the plant, they will pay it.

Mayor McCoy and members of the council spoke to Clear Water representatives at a work session last week in the conference room at city hall. At one time, company president Rick Ailiff ran the Lanett water plant when he worked for a private contractor.

In other action taken at Monday’s council meeting, a resolution was approved authorizing City Clerk Deborah Gilbert to sign checks with AuburnBank on behalf of the city.

Council Member Jamie Heard expressed sympathy for the families affected by the school shooting last week in Florida. There was some “prayer around the pole” on Lanett school campuses today in the wake of this.

Heard thanked local ministers Dr. Lamar D. Johnson of Mount Hermon Baptist Church and Minister Warren Goss of the Berean Church, both in the West Shawmut community; Pastor John Samanie, Happy Valley Baptist Church; and Deacon John Redford, member of the Mount Nebo Baptist Church, Cusseta, for taking part in the group prayers.

After the meeting, Mayor McCoy discussed the ongoing streetscape project with consultant Tim Kant and the airport project with Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood civil engineer Ryan Pearce.

A tremendous amount of work has been done at the airport site. A total of 3,400 truckloads of sand-like material has been brought in from a quarry in Wadley, Ala. This has made a layer of that’s approximately three feet thick that extends along the entire length of the 4,400-foot-long runway, A layer of crushed stone will be going on top of that and then the asphalt will be applied.

It’s possible for the landing strip to be extended another 1,000 feet to provide a landing area of more than a mile.

Pearce said the airport could be open to plane traffic by November.

Drones have been helpful in the ongoing work. Pearce said it’s the best way to view the 60-acre work site.