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Public Works Director Terry Tyson notified the council of a bulldozer with a clam bucket that the public works department can bid on in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Tyson assured the council that it has been inspected by members of the public works department.

“…We feel like it would be a good purchase if we could get it inexpensively,” he said.

He said that, while it will not be used most of the time, it would serve several purposes such as clearing areas, loading sand pits, grabbing limbs and picking up logs.

Tyson said similar equipment sold for $8,000 and that he would be willing to spend up to $12,000 for the machinery.

The council approved Tyson to bid for the machinery for up to $12,000.

Tyson also presented two materials-only quotes for replacing light poles at Scott Park. The first quote was from Musco Sports Lighting located in Iowa for $68-75,000 including metal halide bulbs, which is what is currently being used. The second quote was from Evergreen Applied Technology located in Colorado for $108,000 including LED lights.

Tyson said he planned to keep costs down by subbing some work out whenever possible during construction.

“Instead of just having someone bid it, I would have someone sub some work out when we could.”

He also recommended purchasing LED lights, which would increase the cost by about $20,000, because they are more efficient.

“If you put in LED, probably in my lifetime you won’t ever have to change the bulbs,” he said.

He also said that the new poles will be shorter, and there will only be six as opposed to eight. They will be metal with concrete bases.

The council also discussed a prospective business license for a car wash on E. 7th Avenue and S. Main Street. At the last meeting, it was agreed that the business owner would seek Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) approval before a license was issued.

The council had been notified by Arthur Dixon, who owns the building that the car wash will be housed in, that cars will only be washed on the outside, instead of inside and outside as previously discussed.

Moore said he and Police Chief Robert Alston looked at the outside drain and observed “any runoff water would go back towards Shiloh Street.”

Tyson said that “As far as drainage, it’s not a big problem. It’s just that you’ve got a few houses that live below it, and  the ditches are going remain wet.”

Councilman William Bryant asked if the car wash owner, Andrelias Johnson, checked with ADEM as instructed. Moore said he had not heard anything from them about it. Councilwoman Jan Cannon said Johnson was only supposed to get ADEM approval for the inside drain.

The council did not grant a business license for lack of motion.

Other items discussed by the council include the following:

• discussing the issue of littering in Linden. The council agreed to put up signage on Gardner Street.

• Bobby Jackson complained of ditches on W. 7th Avenue overflowing water into homeowner’s yards after it rains. Tyson told him that the public works department would work to resolve the issue on that and other roads in Linden. Jackson also brought to attention of the council various vacant lots that were becoming overgrown. Moore said that if Jackson got the names of the lots, then Alston will send a letter to the owners telling them to clean up.

• approving Billy Powell to the Industrial Development Board.

• the mayor updated the council that representatives from Jack’s Family Restaurants were considering building a location in Greensboro before building one in Linden. The company expressed interest in building a location in Linden in 2019. Moore said he offered to discuss with the council simply giving them the property that Jack’s will be built on but had not heard back by the time of the meeting. “I’ll do anything I can within reason to try to get them here,” Moore said.

• Moore notified the council that the public works department has been working extensively at the schools in Linden doing general clean-up.

• Moore announced that Linden was awarded a $2,500 Bicentennial Community grant.

• entering executive session on the basis of general representation of character.

The Linden City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of each month, at 4:30 p.m., at city hall.

(This article originally appeared in the Saturday, July 21 issue of the Demopolis Times.)