Selling two large pieces of equipment, changing the speed limit of Joe Koelsch Road and hiring someone to board the dog pound animals were items on the Town of Locust Grove special meeting Wednesday night.

A backhoe and a bulldozer were surplused and sold to the highest bidder. A bid by Clyde Allred of $4,601 was accepted for a bulldozer. Allred also purchased the backhoe with a bid of $11,101.

The board of trustees also discussed changing the speed limit of Joe Koelsch Road which runs from Highway 82 west past the football field and two of the district’s schools. The speed limit was 25 miles per hour, all of the time.

Trustee Heath Holman made a motion that the speed limit be changed. The limit will remain at 25 miles per hour from 7:30 a.m to 4 p.m.. At night and on the weekends the speed limit will be increased to 35 miles per hour. The motion was seconded by Shannon Cook and passed with a 3-1 vote. The lone no vote came from Trustee Shawn Bates. Trustee Andy Coverdell was not in attendance.

The board also approved temporarily sending dog pound animals to stay in a facility owned by Mark Knott. The animals will be boarded in a kennel with runs, water and electricity. Knott will be responsible for feeding and watering the animals. He will also take over euthanasia of the animals.

The town authorized Knott to euthanize animals left in his facility for more than three days. He will be paid $10 per dog and $15 per animal for the cost of euthanasia. The move will be reviewed at the May regular

monthly meeting. The board voted 3-1 to approve the move. The one no vote came when Mayor Vickie Herr abstained from voting because she is related to Knott. When a trustee abstains, the vote is recorded as a no.

The Locust Grove Fire Department is looking to purchase a new fire truck. The board approved taking the balance of the fire department’s portion of the public safety sales tax to put as a down payment on a new fire truck. The withdrawal will not be made until tax money is deposited in March. The money will then be transferred to Ferrara Fire for the truck.

A total of $2,200 will be paid to Marmic for installation of a fire panel and an audible alarm for the sprinkler system at the Police Department. Money for the work will come from the jail fund.

In the Public Works Authority meeting, the board approved making an adjustment to Danny and Melinda Johnson’s water/sewer/trash bill. The bill was changed and will now cost the Johnsons $74.76. All late penalties have been waived.

An ongoing discussion with Chad Kirby on installing a sewer line to his property resulted in no action. Kirby will need to bring information including cost to the next regular monthly meeting.

Jim Rowland of Water Tank Maintenance and Repair was hired to consult to repair the old water tower. Rowland will look at the tower and determine if it could be used as a back up. Cost of his work may not exceed $1,000.

In other business the board received a permit from the Department of Environmental Quality regarding a sewer line extension on the Dale Smith property.