By Rupert Howell

The Town of Como is under Department of Environmental Quality to update and repair the sewer system and has two years to get it done according to Mayor Everette Hill. At a called meeting last Friday night Hill said that the town had been fined $1,750 for shortcomings in the systems.

“It could have been worse,” Hill explained to a visitor at the meeting. He said that every lift station in the system has a malfunctioning pump.

Como’s board of mayor and alderman then voted to employ Cook Coggins Engineers, Inc. of Tupelo to direct the application of a grant that would provide funds to repair lift stations and lagoon, have water tanks painted and place new water meters if successful according to Hill.

The letter of authorization to proceed with the Tupelo firm is the next step in implementing the 2014 Waste Water Improvement Project for the town.

In other business, Como librarian Alice Perotti and First Regional Library Director Ed Hughes met with the town board to confirm a commitment of $13,380 from Como toward the library’s upcoming budget.

Perotti revealed that some donor funding may be available for the library’s programs, but a commitment was needed from Como for further budgeting purposes.

The local librarian thanked town board members for their support with Mayor Hill stating, “Thank you for the job you do and letting the town know we support you.”

Abner Young, a Como resident who attends many of the board’s meetings noted that townspeople, “Almost give unanimous support for this library. We’re getting a lot more out of it than we’re putting into it. The library is the one central thing the entire town agrees on.”

Hill mentioned that the town had just spent $2,500 on an air conditioner and stated, “We want to send a message, ‘we are working together.'”

The board briefly went into executive session closing the doors to visitors and the press to discuss the employment of a part-time maintenance worker. They promptly reported that Marcus Whitehead had been employed.