Taylortown began the new year with plans for summer recreation and a new way to evaluate town employees.

Council member Jeffery Moody suggested Taylortown charge this year when the swimming pool opens.

“Charge $1 in town, maybe $2 for out of town,” Moody said. “The Wyatt Center used it last year. We don’t have to gouge them, but they could pay a little bit.”

Town Clerk Carolyn Mitchell said the center had not made any contract for arrangements this year. Council member James Thompson said he thought the last contract with the center was $1,000 for the season.

“What about having Softball Sundays?” Moody asked. “Seems to me people could just come to town, have a pickup game of softball every Sunday — maybe around 5 or 6 in the evening. You know, when I first moved here — long, long, long, long time ago (laughter) — they had them. I enjoyed it. We have some bats around town, can find some balls — have us a good old time playing softball. How do you guys feel about that?”

The council was in general agreement.

“Between 5 and 6, one of those times then,” Moody said. “That’s all I have.”

Thompson, a retired police officer who serves on the council as police commissioner, introduced new evaluation forms he proposed the town use for all employees. Evaluation had been an issue raised at trial last year when Taylortown’s former chief won a wrongful dismissal suit.

“This Monday we will be adopting performance evaluations for all employees of the town,” Thompson said. “This is a performance evaluation that we are introducing. Our initial evaluation will be of how they are doing their job, how they are getting along with folks around town.

“We hope this will give each employee an incentive to improve; we can get feedback from the public how they are doing their job. If they do a good job, they will be rewarded with raises.”

He passed copies of the forms out to council members.

“Does the board have any more business?” Mayor Ulysses Barrett asked. “If not, we are adjourned.”

After adjournment, Thompson said the council had not voted to adopt the evaluation forms. Barrett called the meeting back into session and the forms were adopted without objection.

Earlier in the meeting, the council approved minutes for a special called meeting on Dec. 8 that included a closed session to discuss police personnel and legal matters. No action was taken on either matter after the board returned to open session.

After returning to open session at that special meeting, Barrett explained that a budget amendment was needed to pay for pumping sewage at lift station No. 2 in November and modifying piping to allow hook-up to a portable pump if primary pumps fail.

The amendment would transfer $20,000 from the general fund. The council approved the measure.

Police Chief S.D. Johnson Sr. told the council during his report Tuesday that his department will conduct CPR classes if there is enough interest. He said he would like to hear from senior citizens and young people.

He said Taylortown will take part again in Operation Medicine Drop in March. Operation Medicine Drop collects unused medicine in Taylortown twice a year, usually once in March and once in November, Johnson said. Collected medicine is turned over by sheriff’s deputies to the State Bureau of Investigation for destruction.

“If you have any unused medication you don’t want — whether prescription or over-the-counter — we’ll take it here and turn it over to the sheriff’s office,” Johnson said.

Johnson also told the council the department’s calls for service have increased over the last two-and-a-half months.

“We have increased our coverage to 17 hours out of 24,” he said.

Contact John Chappell at jfchappell@gmail.com.