By Dudley Evans –

At the regular Tuesday evening session at Kingston City Hall, Mayor Tim Neal and the City Council recognized Vice Mayor Lucy Johnson for her service as she chose not to seek re-election. Mayor Neal also issued several local proclamations, designating November as Family Court Awareness Month, the third Wednesday of November as Hot Pink Day, and honoring Veterans Day alongside the Southwest Point Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Under new business, the council approved a resolution enabling the city to participate in the Public Entity Partners Cybersecurity Matching Grant Program, alongside routine budget amendments for both general city finances and the Water Department.

During the subsequent Water Board session, members voted to approve an estimated $1.97 million purchase of more than 3,000 new automatic water meters. While the multi-million dollar expense raised questions regarding costs from council members, City Manager David Bolling assured officials that the Water Department maintains strong financial health and can comfortably absorb the cost without impacting customer bills. Bolling and Water Department Manager Kevin Hamilton noted that the upgraded automatic readers will likely increase departmental revenue through improved reading accuracy.

The meeting adjourned following approximately 48 minutes of discussion.