A major topic addressed at the June 25 meeting of Martinsville City Council was a recent water line break and how residents were notified about the boil water advisory. Some residents said they felt the notifications weren’t able to reach everyone, especially with older residents who don’t use social media.
Julian Mei, who is among the candidates for a seat on the council in November, addressed the board about notifications for the water line break.
“For the population that might be older, that maybe doesn’t have access to social media or cellphone, how did they know? How did they know, for example, that the boil water notice was done or still in effect,” asked Mei.
“You won’t believe how many people don’t know how to put an app on your phone,” said Mei suggesting a tech workshop to help citizens install an app for alerts.
Council member Lawson suggested using reverse 911 to get alerts.
“We talked about a system like the school uses to reach parents, Reverse 911,” Lawson said. “You can sign up for emails or the text on the city’s website. We are looking at lots of different options.”
City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides said, “We sent out 9,000 messages via code red to citizens. You will hear more about pushing that out and other forms of communication.”
Noting that “everyone receives information differently,” Mayor LC Jones said this issue is an ongoing discussion.
The council praised utility workers who restored water.
“I wanted to echo sentiments about how fabulous our Public Works Department is and how quickly they were able to identify the issues and get repairs made. They worked tirelessly until it got done,” Lawson said.
“We learned a lot of lessons in that response in how we need to move forward,” Jones added, and also praised city workers and media for helping to communicate the water line issue with the public.
In other matters, the council:
Approved Yvonne Givens and Cathy Carter for three-year terms on the Martinsville School Board. Both terms will end in 2027.
*Additionally, $100,000 in ARPA funding will be used to fund lead piping inventory.
*Confirmed the appropriation of additional grants and revenue to close out the fiscal year.
* Recognized employees who earned Service Awards.
* Recognized First Savings Bank for 100 years of service.