CITY OFFICIALS TOUR DEPARTMENTS

The mayor and members of the city council made their annual tour of city facilities this week.

The tour is designed to allow for communication between city employees and city officials.

"I try to get around to every department every few weeks, but wealso have a formal tour every year," Mayor Paul Sander said.

The tour gives the council a better idea of how things are going throughout the city's departments.

On Wednesday, the tour began at the police and fire station and ended at the city maintenance building. The library, cemetery, waste water treatment plant, public works and utilities were toured in between. The sanitation department and the sub-station to be online in November were toured on Thursday.

"The employees can give us their opinion about things that need to be done in the next few years," Sander said.

During the tour at the water plant the council got a chance to see how bulk lime storage would be beneficial to the plant in the future. At the fire station, talk was of the new fire truck to be purchased sometime in 1998.

At the office of public works council members got a chance to see how far the Main Street expansion project would be by 1998. They expect to be at Oak Hill Road sometime next year and should be to the interstate in 3-5 years, Sander said.

"The tour gives us a clearer picture...The main thing is the communication with the employees in their workplace," Sander added.

The tour lets the employees know that the council welcomes advice and criticisms from city employees.

"We're not perfect, but we are open to suggestions," Sander added.

Sander added that this year's tour was attended well by council members.