It was a busy agenda for the Centre City Council on Tuesday afternoon.
Among the items approved were the regular meeting minutes from the October 26th meeting in addition to the accounts payable.
Following a brief presentation from WEIS Radio General Manager Jerry Baker, the city has once again agreed to participate in the WEIS Radio Shop at Home campaign.
Sealed bids were opened for a concrete landscape project at the Ed Yarbrough Park with that bid being awarded to Trammel Construction who was the lowest responsible bidder.
On a 4-3 vote, the council voted to participate in the turf field and track improvement project at Cherokee County High School. The city will provide a maximum of $25,000 a year for 20 years for the project.
The council also voted to increase the weekly hours of the city building inspector from 30 hours to 40.
Sgt. Riley Combs with the Centre Police Department addressed the council to request permission to move forward with an ADECA grant application. The deadline for the grant application is November 30th and will be for $20,000 for the purchase of equipment. This will at no cost to the city.
Mayor Mark Mansfield stated that the council chamber podium at the Main Street City Hall location is in the process of being moved to the Community Center, at the recommendation of Mayor Mansfield and Building Inspector Raymond Matthews the council voted to have the podium moved at a cost of $6,700.
The city will be adding credit/debit card services for municipal court fees and fines. They approved the purchase of a laptop for the amount of $2,020. This purchase was a budgeted item.
The council also voted to give all essential and full time employees as of July 19, 2021 a one time $2,000 raise with monies used from the American Rescue Plan.
At the recommendation of council member Kay Davis, the council voted to allow the purchase of new Christmas decorations for City Hall in the amount of up $2,500. It was also announced that the annual Christmas Parade will take place on December 2nd at 6:00 p.m.
Mayor Mansfield announced that the JFK Community Center has received a from the Alabama Historical Association in the amount of $21,500. The city will be forming an events committee to determine how those funds will be spent.