The Leitchfield City Council Monday began the process that will lead to an upgrade of the landscaping around The Square.

Past storms and age have left some trees "in need of attention," according to Kevin Collard of Pine View Nursery.

Collard sent photos of a variety of tree species, some of them low-growing (Japanese maples, for example), for council members to consider before putting together a final plan.

And the city will be looking at possible patching work on the lake dam at Beville Park.

Mayor William H. Thomason reported the dam was "collapsing underneath the water wheel, and we'll have to drain the lake this summer and look at placing a liner on the dam wall."

While the lake is dry, he said, the dam itself will need to be inspected "to be on the safe side."

The city accepted three bids for hay harvest on three city-owned pieces of property. All the bids came in at zero dollars, because the bidders are required to fertilize and mow the properties in exchange for the hay.

Bids were sent in by Randell Smith, Tony King and Albert King, all of Leitchfield.

Following action Monday morning by the Fiscal Court, the council named three members to the Airport Board.

Appointed were Kirk Collard (December 2003), Eddie Anderson (December 2006), and Kevin Henderson, December 2007).

Thomason said the action was necessary before the airport board could apply for grants to expand the field.

By a unanimous vote, the council approved accepting $57,253 in state money from the municipal road aid fund.

Councilman Leon Shaw asked that a check be made on Marion Street in front of Lowes Concrete to see if there is a water leak in a city line there.

He said water has been running down the street most of the winter, and "it's still going."

Thomason agreed that it might be a city leak and should become part of the city's continuing efforts to stop water loss from the city system, losses he said had been trimmed from a high of 33 percent down to about 12 percent.

Randell Smith briefed the council on the new federal testing requirements (National Incident Management System).

He said Grayson County will be the first of the state's 120 counties to be tested, and he scheduled reviews for first responders.

He said future Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding to the county would depend on both city and county first responders passing the national the test by October 1.