Much anticipated sewer repairs were approved by the Piedmont City Council on Tuesday. A low bid in the amount of $382,047 was awarded to the Florence, MS-based company, Suncoast Infrastructure Inc.
According to water department supervisor Jesse McKnight, the project, which will improve 12,000 linear feet of pipe along Alabama Street and Fifth Avenue, will be covered by a $441,420 grant.
The City of Piedmont will be responsible for about $85,000, which will be covered with existing bond monies, McKnight said. He added that additional work in the area can be done using the remaining funds of the grant.
When discussing the minutes of the May 19th meeting, Council Member Frank Cobb expressed concerns over the legality of the most recent school board appointment. Cobb said that a local attorney informed him that the vote was most likely illegal, because it wasn’t first put on the meeting’s agenda. Mayor Bill Baker said that the council did not intentionally do anything wrong, but if in fact the process was done incorrectly, they would have no problem correcting any potential issues.
The council agreed to allow local businessman Dan Freeman to hold summer concerts at the city’s downtown gazebo on the third Saturday of each month throughout the summer. The three-hour event, which Freeman said was envisioned to attract more downtown visitors, would feature a rotating cast of local musicians.
Bills for payment were approved in the amount of $261,377.22 in addition to a payroll amount of $117,440.92 for a total of $378,818.14 with Council Member Brenda Spears abstaining from the vote.
In other business, the council voted to allow electric superintendent Casey Ponder to begin the bid process for repairs to Substation No. 2, including the purchase of a new transformer.
The council voted to deny a resident’s request that the city pay the full price to install fire hydrants and extended water lines to three future homes, which lie outside of the city limits. The council said that the cost of running the lines comes to $13,390, with the city providing free labor.
The council voted to allow the United Cerebral Palsy of East Alabama to block-off the street during an event in late July.
The next regular Piedmont City Council Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16th, at 6 pm.