Mayor gives update on construction new Weyerhaeuser mill
Natasha Worley
Reporter
DIERKS – Water and sewer
issues remain prominent in
the city of Dierks this month.
At Monday night’s city
council meeting, Mayor
Terry Mounts spoke about
the Waste Water Treatment
Plant that the city is attempting
to initiate.
According to Mounts, the
costs to build the treatment
plant have risen. The ADEQ
informed the city that their
existing sewer lagoon and
pond levees must be raised
about 10,000 cubic yards
because it is in a flood zone.
The clay to build this new lagoon
will be donated for free
from Weyerhaeuser, which
will save the city a large
amount of money; however,
the remaining costs of the
lagoon still total $57,500.
The city must also purchase
an aerator for $18,500.
The largest cost for the
city will be $105,000 to rehab
the existing rock filter,
which rests between the
sewer lagoon and the pond.
With these added costs,
the total for the project has
been raised from $310,000
to $474,000. The vote was
unanimous to accept these
charges.
Mayor Mounts reported
on the construction of a new
mill at the Weyerhaeuser
plant and said that several
contractors continue to
work on that project.
Some 26 truckloads of
steel is expected to be delivered
in the next couple
of weeks.
The $190 million project
will include a new facility
that plans to have an annual
production capacity
of 387 million board feet, 25
percent more than current
capabilities.
The old facility will continue
to operate while the
new facility is built nearby.
Weyerhaeuser employs
about 250 at the Dierks complex.
The meeting then shifted
to the topic of the no-leftturn
sign that was placed at
the top of Murray Hill in late
August.
Two accidents have occurred
in the area, so the
sign was placed there as a
precaution to try and prevent
future accidents, as
there is a blind spot in the
left turn.
Mounts reported that
there have been no complaints
from Dierks citizens
about the sign, so the
council agreed that the sign
should not be moved.
As the meeting was adjourned,
a budget meeting
was set for Nov. 30 at 6 p.m.
In addition to Mounts, members
in attendance in were:
Sherri Edge, Debbie Brock,
John Sharp, James Sebern,
Roddy Smith, Carol Sharp,
and Erin Hunter. The Dierks
City Council meets on the
second Monday of every
month at 6 p.m.
– Jonathan Canaday, with
Southwest Arkansas Radio,
also contributed to this story.
