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Garbage rate hike likely in T'ville The Thomasville City Council recently voted to change solid waste collectors, going with Arrow over Allied Waste (formerly BFI). At the current rates being charged residents and businesses, the city will be subsidizing solid waste by up to $120,000 next year. Day told council members and others at Monday night's council meeting, "Folks, that is a drain on our general fund and we can't continue to do that," Day said. He said rates have not been increased since 2002 but that they will need to be next year. He said he and City Clerk Debbie Ballard are preparing figures for the council to consider rate increases.
Business news Day detailed business news, including the possibility of Walgreens coming to town (see front page story). D & D Furniture of Frisco City will soon open in the old Heron's Nest on Highway 43. Southern Gas and Supply and Westco Welding Supply have recently opened welding supply stores. People's Corner restaurant in downtown has changed hands and is closed for renovations but will reopen soon. The buyers of the Crown building are ready to close the deal on the old plant facility. Plans are being readied for a new spec building in the new south industrial park. Developers are looking at building two new subdivisions and work should start soon on 17 new townhouses previously announced in the downtown area. Day said last week's Rural Supplier Conference was as good or better than the first a year ago. That, coupled with an article on Thomasville in Business Alabama magazine and other articles in other publications "have the phone ringing off the hook" from businesses and developers wanting information on the city. "The chamber has had 12 requests for information packages today [Monday] alone," he said. Day thanked everyone who helped make the Rural Supplier Conference a success and singled out Burke's Mechanical which brought a big boom rig to hoist a giant U.S. flag over Alabama Southern Community College for the meeting. The rig would normally have cost thousands of dollars but Chip Burke and his crew provided it free of charge. Day said the city is applying for grant funds for drainage work. He also noted that bids to renovate the old high school to be a civic center came in far too high-over $5 million as opposed to a hoped-for $3.5 million. He said the city is reviewing its options. "We can't do that for $5 million," he said. A proposed zoning ordinance is ready and will go first to the planning board where it will be reviewed. That group will hold a public hearing and seek input. If the board approves, the matter will go to the city council where a second public hearing would be held before a vote is taken on the matter. Day said the earliest that zoning could be approved would likely be the first council meeting in October. Regarding the wet-dry issue, Day said the council is standing by its commitment not to move forward on a vote on alcohol sales until zoning is in place. "We are going to be true to our word," he said.
Other items The council agreed to sponsor a Leadership Clarke County student scholarship for $250. The council authorized a $8,250 third quarter payment to the Bloom Group for lobbying and economic development work. Eighteen building permits were approved-four for commercial work and 14 for residential work. Of the residential permits, the majority were for roof repairs, likely associated with the hail storm earlier this year. The council agreed to support the Rambling Rose Charity Run to be held Oct. 7. It will be 3.1 miles and will also include a 1-mile "fun run" this year. In personnel items, the council approved a six-month raise for Policeman Doug Scott. Two vacancies for equipment operators in the street department will be posted. The council did not act on the library board's hiring of Jeff Simmons as a part-time employee but said the board should have proceeded through the city's personnel board. Alvin Callier, representing a recycling program manned by mental health patients, asked the city about the $1,000 per month it promised. Day said that because the program is independent, the work will have to be bid but told Callier it will likely be funded. The new management team for Clarke-Mobile Counties Gas was present. They are Tommy Horsley, Al Bean and C. J. Arnold. Day said the three were doing a good job. Horsley briefly told the council about work to tie in a natural gas line with Wilcox County to the north and said that work has started on a six-inch line to serve the new Louisiana-Pacific mill. Councilman Gaines Smith was absent from Monday's meeting.
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