Level Plains administration becomes debt-free

The Level Plains City Council approved paying off a loan at its regular meeting on March 3, which leaves the city debt-free on its administrative side.

“Well 3 is the last big loan that the city owes,” Mayor Bruce Grantham said at the meeting.

He said the pay off for the loan would be $171,289.34.

“I recommend we pay this off and the city would be out of debt for the first time I can remember and I’ve been here a long time,” Grantham said.

The council unanimously approved paying the remainder of the loan.

In other business, Grantham requested the council approve the purchase of an AED (automated external defibrillator) for City Hall at a cost $1,835.

“It is foolproof,” Grantham said. “It won’t shock anyone unless they need it—they have to be in AFib (atrial fibrillation) for it to work.”

The request was unanimously approved.

Grantham also asked for permission to change credit card machine carriers and the fee from $2 to 3.5 percent.

“It’s a little more fair because if a person comes in paying a $16 bill they pay 60-something cents and then a person with a $200 bill pays their fair share,” Grantham said. “It’s just going to be better for the customers.”

The city council gave Grantham permission to change carriers and the credit card fee.

The next Level Plains City Council meeting will be April 7 at 5:30 p.m. at Level Plains Community Building on Z Street. The meeting is open to the public.