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(Program note: The following is a taped broadcast of the Greensboro City Council's Aug. 11 emergency session on sinkholes. It airs again at 2 a.m. Aug. 24, immediately after "Weekend Wastewater Roundup.")

MAYOR YVONNE JOHNSON: Let's go ahead and get started. I want to thank council for meeting on short notice, to address what is a very pressing public safety issue in our community. As you know, I'm talking about sinkholes. Is everyone present?

CITY ATTORNEY TERRY WOOD: Madam mayor, we have word that Councilwoman Mary Rakestraw is out of town, but has joined us via speakerphone. Mrs. Rakestraw?

RAKESTRAW: (Inaudible.)

JOHNSON: Very well, then. Let's begin with a report from deputy transportation chief Grady Tarboil.

TARBOIL: Thank you, mayor. I'm sure we've all followed the media reports on the most recent and serious in the line of sinkholes that have occurred at Market and Elm streets.

JOHNSON: Can you update us on the status of the sanitation crew?

TARBOIL: Ma'am, our guys were pretty shook up after being extracted from the hole but had no serious injuries. The bad news is, we have yet to recover the sanitation truck. For those who were on vacation, I have this YouTube clip to give you the flavor of the situation. Lights, please?

TV ANNOUNCER: And in tonight's Big Story, road crews in Greensboro are working round the clock to locate a garbage truck that earlier today disappeared into a giant sinkhole in the heart of downtown. We'll now go to our Weekend News Action Team, with Tabitha Tourrine reporting live.

TOURRINE: A tense and testy scene at a sinkhole here in the heart of downtown Greensboro, where crews are battling the dual foes of darkness and rowdy revelers. As rescuers continued to sort through debris in search of a missing, fully-loaded sanitation truck, two disoriented bar patrons left Margarita Magoo's and fell headlong into the hole. Leaving many Greensboro residents to wonder: Who will be next?

Back to you, Tanya.

JOHNSON: Lights. Questions?

ROBBIE PERKINS: I want to know how our infrastructure has reached a point where you can literally drive a truck through it. What's the vision? Didn't this council only two weeks ago appropriate $83,000 in emergency sinkhole repression funds?

TARBOIL: Yessir. They ran out.

ZACK MATHENEY: So once again, our open-pocketbook, blank-check council is asked to throw money at a problem. Talk about a bottomless pit.

GOLDIE WELLS: On the other hand, a stitch in time saves nine ...

RAKESTRAW: (Background noise.)

JOHNSON: Can staff adjust Ms. Rakestraw's speakerphone? It's playing music. Country-western music.

WOOD: I apologize, mayor, we're working on a remedy. And if I may interject, Councilwoman Rakestraw is, in fact, vacationing at Dollywood.

MIKE BARBER: It sounded like, "Here You Come Again." As does this whole discussion. Is this deja vu?

WATER RESOURCES DIRECTOR ALLAN WILLIAMS: Mr. Barber is correct. A consultant's report ordered by the city found that the water main system was aging and in critical need of repair. That report predicted that the sinkhole problem would worsen.

TRUDY WADE: Can we read that report online? When was it written?

WILLIAMS: I believe we have a copy in storage. It was dated 1973.

T. DIANNE BELLAMY-SMALL: I move that council recognize the heroic efforts of the sanitation employees. And also that copies of the 1973 consultant's report be made available.

WADE: I second.

JOHNSON: All in favor say "aye." The motion passes unanimously. The meeting is hereby adjourned.

RAKESTRAW: How in hoo-ha does this diggety-dang thing work? Hello?

Contact Lorraine Ahearn at 373-7334 or lorraine.ahearn@news-record.com