The Birdseye Town Council met Thursday and:

• Hired resident Joey Schwartz as town utility superintendent after the retirement of Bob Morrow. The hiring was retroactive to June 1 and the wage is $1,600 monthly. Morrow, who is training Schwartz, attended Thursday’s meeting to assist with the monthly report. Council President Bret Eckert thanked Morrow for his years of dedication and effort for the town. Morrow commented that Schwartz has been doing “a fine job” since taking over with the water and sewer utilities.

• Appointed Amber Stroud as a new park board member.

• Heard from Clerk Treasurer Brittany Schepers that planning is going forward for an annual Birdseye Town Picnic. It is tentatively scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Aug. 21 and 22, and will be preceded by the traditional cruise Sunday, Aug. 16. Depending on the situation with COVID-19 at the time, food at the event could involve orders or, at the worst, a drive-thru format, Schepers indicated.

• Stated that a looming repair to an East Second Street water leak could happen as soon as this week and will lead to a boil advisory for customers on East First, East Second and East Third streets.

• Hired Pete Costello Painting, which has crews based in Henderson, Kentucky, working in the area, to caulk and repair the base of the town water tower at a cost of $1,250.

• Gave an initial review to a proposed, hold-the-line 2021 budget where the only change was adding additional money — $150 total — to handle higher monthly phone bills.