DECATUR - Honorary Decatur citizen Yuka Miyazaki of Tokorozawa, Japan, gathered some courage to speak before the city council Monday, after she and five other young people from Decatur's sister city received certificates and medals from Mayor Mike Carrigan.

"We have got a lot of memories," Miyazaki said. "American people who we met are, everyone, wonderful. We will never forget your kindness."

The 2008 student ambassadors from Japan were a prelude to an evening of discussions that ranged from a new park in the works for the downtown area to dealing with false fire alarms and the ever-present problem of adequate water for the city.

The council approved a plan for a new park in the 300 block of North Water Street but struck from the language any mention of the monument to African-American Civil War veterans by sculptor Preston Jackson as the centerpiece.

The recommendation to the council from interim City Manager John A. Smith and Assistant City Manager Greg Crowe proposed the park use Jackson's sculpture, but some council members, including Dan Caulkins, wanted to postpone the decision until they had an opportunity to discuss the best possible place to put the sculpture.

"I would not want to vote for this, just because I don't believe this is the proper way to determine where the Preston Jackson sculpture ought to be," Caulkins said of the resolution.

Director of Water Management Keith Alexander told the council about a meeting between city staff and Archer Daniels Midland Co. regarding the efforts to meet the city's water needs. ADM's Decatur facility requires a reliable and abundant water supply to operate.

Alexander said a combination of lowering the intakes at Lake Decatur and purchasing Lake Tokorozawa to use as an additional water supply for the city would provide about 47 percent of the additional water the city will need to meet its goal.

The council approved a new fee structure for false fire alarms that lowers the maximum fine on businesses and raises the maximum fine on residences.

Currently, the city charges commercial structures $500 and residences $100 for every false alarm after the first four. The new fines will keep the four free false alarms for businesses and residences, after which graduated fines would kick in.

With the new resolution in place, commercial structures would see a fee from $100 to $300, while residences would start at $50 and be charged up to $150.

Decatur Police Chief James Anderson said his data shows the number of false alarms has not really been affected as a result of new fines in the last five years.

Kenneth Lowe can be reached at klowe@herald-review.com or 421-7985.