Talk of the new sound system in Dunbar's City Council chamber dominated the discussion during the Monday evening city council meeting.
"Can you hear me now?" Dunbar Mayor Terry Greenlee asked attendees as he opened the meeting. And for the first time in a while, the answer was yes, which was voiced with applause from the crowd.
"The sound system was well worth it," Greenlee said. "If citizens take the time to come [to council meetings], they deserve to hear what we are saying."
Council approved the new system - which cost $5,000 to install - in early September after people attending meetings voiced concerns about not being able to hear.
Dunbar residents Karen and Thomas Montgomery have been attending city council meetings consistently for about three years. Both welcome the new sound system.
"It's great," Thomas said. "A lot of times with my hearing problem, I couldn't hear what they said."
Thomas used to work in a diesel truck shop but changed gears and now is teaching about diesel engines.
"That's why he brings me," Karen joked. "[The sound system] was needed."
Both wanted to stay in the know about their neighborhood and Thomas especially wanted to stay informed about the city's business as he is serving on its historical preservation committee.
"You could hear everyone talking about how nice [the sound system] was," he said. "It is just one of those things that's necessary."
In other news, council:
n Passed an ordinance on second reading to update the city's building code
n Approved Sept. 19 meeting minutes
n Announced Oct. 21 Neighborhood Watch
n Discussed the Oct. 29 Boo Bash event at Dunbar Landing; games start at 5:30 p.m. with the movie beginning around 7:30 p.m.