The following are the unapproved minutes from the Hines Common Council meeting held Sept. 8. These minutes were edited for clarity and length:

Hines Fire Chief Bob Spence reported that, since the last meeting, there were five false alarms and one call for backup for a motor-vehicle accident.

He added that the department currently has 11 volunteers, and he would like to have 15.

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Jerry Lewellen of the Public Works Department reported that the public has been good about keeping the restrooms clean this year.

He said the department is dumping park garbage cans at least twice a week, as there’s been a lot of traffic through town, and many visitors are stopping at the park.

Councilor Misty Shepherd asked how often the sprinklers run in the main park, and Lewellen said they’re on every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night.

The sprinklers are now more efficient, and the park looks better than it did in the past.

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Hines Police Chief Ryan DeLange said his department received 207 calls for service.

The calls include two rape cases (which are being investigated) and two shootings (which were both domestic cases that didn’t result in injury).

DeLange added that drug stops for methamphetamine have increased, the department has responded to a lot of mental-health cases in the past week or two, and domestic calls are up. There’s also been a lot of traffic, and traffic calls are on the rise. DeLange also reported an increase in the number of scam calls being made to the elderly.

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City Administrator Kirby Letham said city hall has received a lot of requests for information regarding home building. He said the city is working on a way to communicate to everyone.

The city currently uses its website, the radio, and Facebook. Letham and the public works department have even knocked on doors when needed.

Letham asked the council to use word-of-mouth to help spread the notice regarding water shut-offs.

Mayor Nikki Morgan mentioned that the city used a phone tree in the past. However, Letham said it is out of date and needs to be updated.

Letham suggested reaching out to US Cellular to determine whether a group text can be sent to people who sign up for it.

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Under old business, Letham reported that he has the preliminary drawings for the West Hanley paving project, and he expected the final drawing to be available the following day.

Requests for Bids were due Sept. 18. The plan is to complete the paving project this fall.

City hall received numerous inquiries regarding water-rate increases. Residents are seeing the increase now more than previously, as the summer months are when people use more water. During the winter months, the rate increase was not as visible. Letham created a worksheet showing how water bills are calculated. Morgan suggested that the city include that information in the next water bill.

Letham said the water project seems to be progressing nicely, and the public works department has been busy helping the contractors.

The city is trying to ensure that outages are communicated to residents. However, there have been a couple of unanticipated shut-offs due to malfunctioning old valves or areas of the system where someone bypassed a valve. With the new system, the contractor will use GPS to map out all the valves, fire hydrants, and water lines.

There was a question regarding when the new tank above the school will be installed. Plans are to have it in place by Dec. 1, and it should be brought online in the spring.

The council discussed the skate park and were reminded that some of the equipment was removed. NewSun Energy and the Kiwanis both pledged to donate toward the project. The plan is to purchase a couple of pieces of equipment for the park this fall, which will work with plans for future expansion.

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Under new business:

• the council approved a business license for The Soda District;

• the council voted to donate $150 to Red Ribbon Week. This has been an effective event to raise awareness for a drug and alcohol-free community;

• DEQ Home Hazardous Waste Collection Day will be held Saturday, Oct. 31. The county is taking the lead on this event, in conjunction with the cities of Hines and Burns. However, they are looking for three volunteers from the city of Hines to participate. The mayor asked whether there will be a way for people to transport items to the event if they don’t have a way to do it themselves. Letham said he will speak to the county about that;

• the council reviewed Resolution No. 2295 regarding a one-year suspension of water and sewer connection fees, and the council discussed how this would benefit the city in the short term and/or long term.