Public Works Director Announces Resignation

HUNTINGDON (May 2) — Huntingdon Public Works Director Randy Crossett announced his resignation during the May 2 meeting of the Public Works Committee. Mayor Nina Smothers said Crossett did not provide a definite date of resignation and talks between she and Crossett continue as she attempts to persuade him not to quit.

He said the attacks on social media and complaints filed with EPA and the state’s regulatory agency on drinking water, as well as complaints to the governor’s office has presented lots of pressure on him and requires additional paperwork to assure the agencies the city has safe drinking water.

Crossett said he has lost the trust of the citizens and members of the Town Council even though he has worked to solve the ongoing water issues, such as discolored water in some areas of town, misread water meters, and low pressure. Crossett said he has requested funding for years for such items as digital self-reading water meters and new water service lines, but the Council has not funded those.

The city has funded some new underground piping and the self-reading water meters, which should be installed in the coming months. However, Crossett said the discolored water problem is perplexing and no solution has presented itself. The department changed many of additives - such as lime, fluoride, and sanitizers - at the behest of changes in government regulations or a change in vendors. That might have caused the iron-laden water in some areas of town. But after decades of no problems with iron, they suddenly appear.

Even after he announced his resignation, some of the Council members continued to pepper Crossett with complaints, some of their own making. They noted the meter reading crews were manually reading water meters and incorrectly reporting the customers’ usage. Sometimes, the meters were simply not read in a given month. They also noted the city’s water is laden with iron deposits making it discolored and impossible for hair stylists and laundromats to operate.

The main problems of discolored water are on High Street to the railroad and Paris Street to Hawkins Lane.

Crossett said he has made some personnel changes and dedicated specific personnel to read meters. Most of that monthly assignment will end when the new digital meters are installed, he noted. There will be some malfunctions of the meters, he noted.

Crossett is the supervisor over water, streets and regulatory codes. Most cities divide those disciplines among multiple supervisors. Councilwoman Kelly Eubanks said the responsibilities need to be divided into different departments.

Crossett also said he asked the state Department of Transportation to delay resurface Main Street East until the city could install new water pipes. However, the scheduled paving proceeded as planned, causing enough vibration from the paving equipment to break pipes under the road . The newly resurface highway had to be excavated over broken water lines to make the necessary repairs to the pipe.

Councilwoman Lori Nolen said the public is unaware of the interworking of the department. She told Crossett she believed he can solve the issues.

Councilman John Sanders and Andrew Maddox resurfaced the information that water customer Marty Towater was recently charged for a new sewer grinder pump. His original pump was provided at no cost 26 years earlier.

The Mayor and City Clerk Kim Carter both said the Council approved an ordinance to raise the fees on new water taps and other equipment because the price of new hardware and equipment had increased while fees had not kept pace. Maddox suggested the fees be revisited.

In the previous meeting of the Public Works Committee, Sanders said it was agreed the city would do a better job to communicate with the citizenry. However, the water department began to flush its fire hydrants with very little notice, causing some water problems.