Though it will likely be a year before the project is completed, Harlan is one step closer to having an all-hazards warning system.

"We're excited about that," Mayor Danny Howard said at the city's regular council meeting Monday at the Harlan Center.

The city owns one warning siren, which is not currently operating, said Harlan Fire Chief Linette Hutchison.

The project has been approved federally and a "master agreement" with the state is in the works, Hutchison said. Once the project has been outlined with the state and the sites have been approved, installation of the three new sirens will begin, she said.

One siren will be located along the bypass near the flood wall and another near KFC. The third siren will be installed on the north end of the city, Hutchison said.

With a total of $44,808 allotted for the project, $33,606 of that figure has been federally funded. The state will contribute 12 percent, or roughly $5,400, to that share and the city will commit 13 percent, or approximately $5,800, Hutchison said.

A public awareness campaign that will include advertisements and meetings will begin once the sirens have been installed, Hutchison said.

Hutchison also reported that the fire department was awarded $11,625 for air packs from the area development fund.

City engineer Leo Miller reported on the Sunshine sewer line extension project. Three construction companies have placed bids on the project Ash Mountain Inc., with a bid of $857,650; K. Carrender Construction Company, with a bid of $944,621.75; and Akins Excavating Inc., with a bid of $1,081,076.70. Council members passed a motion to award the contract to Ash Mountain Inc.

A pre-construction meeting, in which Mayor Danny Howard will sign all documents related to the construction work, will be held Dec. 20 in London. The second phase of the project, in which two new sewage pumps will be constructed to replace "antiquated and failing" pumps, will then begin, Miller said.

In other news:

n Miller also reported on the Harlan-Ages and Grays Knob sewer projects, both to be funded by coal severance, he said. The Harlan-Ages project, which will extend a sewer line from Harlan to Ages, will also be funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Environmental Protection Authority. EPA will issue the final funds once a letter has been received from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Miller said. Plans and specifications for the Grays Knob project were approved last spring, and the project is awaiting coal severance funding, as well as a memorandum of agreement between the city of Harlan and the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority, Miller said. The project is a joint effort between the city and the Harlan County Board of Education.

n Bob Yost, manager of the Harlan Waste Water Regional Treatment Plant, expressed concerns with what the city refers to as the Wal-Mart pump station. Yost, along with Howard, suspects shoplifting in what is causing "consistent problems" with the sewer pump. Yost said individuals could possibly be flushing old garments once they've changed into something that has been shoplifted.

Yost also explained that special pickups in the city are not part of the city's garbage service and require an additional charge. Yost said smaller items, such as a bag of leaves, are individually priced for this service, whereas larger items require a tipping fee the amount charged to the city to discard the waste. Questions about the rates can be directed to city hall. The increase in fuel and the "cost of doing business" are also affecting "the bottom line," Yost said.

n Council members discussed increasing the city's liability insurance from its current $1 million, per occurrence, to $2 million with the Kentucky League of Cities. The motion failed to pass, however, with a 4-2 vote. The city's annual insurance premium will remain at $53,703, Howard said.