-Information courtesy Claire Catherwood, West End Community Watch

The West End Community Watch met on Tuesday, June 19 at West End Baptist Church. Henderson City Manager Frank Frazier was pleased to report that taxes and city sewer rates will not increase. Still, due in part to the fact that the City now has reduced debt, City employees will receive 5% raises.

Additionally, many other improvements have been made or are in progress. The Wastewater Plant renovations, which began in 2011, have been completed. Renovations to the old municipal building and the downtown Fire Station are in progress. Several streets have been resurfaced. The City’s retention rate of employees has improved greatly. Discussions are underway for future stormwater projects.

Captain Lee Edmonds, fire prevention officer of the Henderson Fire Department, informed the group that most houses in other areas of the city had already been visited by the fire department. Homes in West Henderson will be the last ones visited. The annual visit can be expected before the end of summer. In November, the rotation begins again. These inspections have been made by the Henderson Fire Department since 2009.

Statewide, there are been more fire-related deaths this year than ever before. Therefore, the State has stepped up fire prevention methods. All fire departments in the State of NC are now required to make regular home visits. When the fire department enters a home, the firemen do a quick safety inspection and check the placement of smoke detectors. They make sure the detectors are operational and replace them or their batteries, when necessary. A resident can call to request an inspection or assistance with a smoke detector.