By Jason Clay Jansky

Runge’s mayor announced several new city projects during the town’s regular February 13 meeting, including the implementation of an arsenic treatment project.

The announcement came last month that Runge had taken first place in a bid to receive grant funding for removing arsenic from drinking water.

The Alamo Area Council of Governments issued them $250,000, and Runge Mayor Homer Lott, Jr. said the town’s utility team will begin putting the funds to use implementing a total filtration process.

"The (city) water will be just like bottled water you buy out of the store," Lott said.

In order to keep up with state-mandated arsenic level requirements in the meantime, the city has had to go through a selection process, blending water from some shallow wells with the water from other deeper wells.

The blending process has yielded water with arsenic levels below the state’s requirements, but has been more costly than the city can keep up with on a long-term basis.

Lott also announced the city’s new dog trap cage has arrived. Reports of dangerous dogs have come to the city in recent weeks, Lott said. Last month, he reported one woman had been bitten while jogging.

Some of the runaway animals are pit bull breeds, according to Lott. The city will be working with the county animal control officer to use the trap to remove stray dogs from Runge streets.

Council members also opened bids for the roof repair project. McCampbell Shiner, a Skidmore company, submitted the only bid. Their price for the job came in at $9,538 and Runge had $10,000 budgeted for the project.

Lott said the bid was acceptable and that he had worried the repairs might cost as much as $15,000. Council members voted unanimously to accept the bid.

Lott also congratulated council members Eloy Nunez and Irma Ortiz toward the end of the meeting, citing the city’s many accomplishments since the trio started working together several years ago.

"I’m very proud of this council and what we’ve done," he said, adding that he will continue to push to "bring Runge up to the 21st century."