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The Harlan City Council met in regular session recently, discussing city business including a sewer project, damage to the Coal Miners Memorial, and an unclothed man walking through Harlan.

Mayor Joe Meadors called the meeting to order and brought the panel up to speed on an ongoing sewer project.

“Phase one of the sewer project, the digging and laying of the line from the Huff addition all the way down to the old sewer plant will be officially over by Friday (May, 16),” Meadors said. “We’ll have the close out documents next week, we’ll pay them, and it came in a little under bid, so what money we saved off that we’re going to put to the phase II, which is the lift station at Rio Vista. That’s the one we really need.”

Meadors reminded the council that the lift station failed in February.

“We had a big blowout,” Meadors said. “We’ve done about all we can do with it, so it’s not going to be too soon to get that finished.”

Meadors also talked about a recent occurrence involving an unclothed man which caught the attention of many in Harlan.

“I guess you all know about the streaker last week,” Meadors said.

Meadors explained Harlan City Police Chief Winston Yeary advised the individual previously had an altercation with a Harlan City Police Officer.

“We were aware of him,” Meadors said. “But, when we went out to get him, he took off into the woods.”

Meadors explained it was raining and chilly, so the individual was not expected to stay in the woods an extended period of time.

“We knew he’d come out,” Meadors said. “Later that afternoon, we got a call from Woodland Hills saying ‘your guy just walked out of the mountains here, come and get him.’ He gave himself up.”

Meadors told the council when asked why he did it, the individual stated because he was intoxicated.

“Nothing happens in this community that should surprise you,” Meadors said.

A council member inquired about the status of the Coal Miners Monument located on the Harlan County Courthouse lawn which had recently been damaged when a vehicle struck it.  

Meadors explained that the coal needed to repair the monument has been acquired and repairs are expected to begin soon.

“We were lucky to find that coal,” Meadors said. “You have to have the right type of coal that’s solid and can stand it. So we went and got it and our guys put it on a pallet, shrink wrapped it and put it up there.”

The repairs are expected to be completed by Memorial Day, Meadors said.