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Thomasville City Council rejects fire station renovation bid The Thomasville City Council voted Monday to reject bids for renovation of Fire Station No. 2. The lowest bid was from Assurance Service Inc. of Thomasville with $241,144. The estimated budget for the project was $150,000. Mayor Sheldon Day told the council that the ornamental aspects of the design had been eliminated, and the bid price was shaved to approximately $206,000. A new larger truck bay is needed for the station to house different size fire trucks. The architect (Donnofro and Associates of Dothan) should have let the council know that the job could not be done for $150,000, said council member Charles Allen. "That's our track record," Allen said during the work session. "Everything we do, we add to before we even start." Allen also complained about the community center renovation, which he said is $200,000-plus over budget. The architect worked with the fire department on the design. The mayor said they were told upfront about the budget. "The architect thought he could live within that budget," Day said. "...The council does not want to send the message that we don't want to do this project....The architect underestimated what this market is for construction costs." The council ultimately decided to rebid and get the price more in line with the original estimate. In other action from Monday's council meeting, there was a first reading of the first batch of alcohol beverage licenses. The Alcohol License Review Committee recommended the following businesses for beer/wine off-premises: Merri Mart No. 5; Parr's Chevron; Rite Aid No. 7134; Smoke Shoppe II; Super Stop No. 85; and Wal-Mart. The Pineview Country Club was approved for a special retail license. The application from Bee Jay's was tabled. The owner must get his property into compliance, the mayor said. The licenses can be approved at the Sept. 24 meeting. • There was also a first reading of revisions to the alcohol license ordinance, including language that there will be no Sunday alcohol sales (except at private clubs), the requirement of 500 square feet of display space at a convenience/package store and there will be no off-premises sales from 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m. daily. In addition, an item was added that 50 percent of gross sales during any 90-day period, must come from other items than alcohol, and there will be no Sunday sales from midnight to noon at private/social clubs. • Employees of businesses that sell alcohol must be certified through the "Alabama Responsible Vendor Program," the mayor said. The city will provide certification classes, if needed, and will charge per person. Employees are taught to check ID's, to know when someone is too drunk to sell to, and to notify the police if a drunk person is driving a vehicle. There is a 30-day period to get the employee certified. • A short-term $900,800 "bridge loan" with First United Security Bank was approved for a water project at the Louisiana Pacific mill. The loan was recommended by USDA Rural Development, and the agency will repay the city for the loan. A $213,021 payment to Frazier- Ousley Construction of Selma on the community center renovation was approved over the objection of council member Allen. • Council members received the first draft of the fiscal 2008 budget to review. • The council approved Helen Carter as a part-time dispatcher for $9.08-an-hour. She also serves as court magistrate for The Town of Grove Hill.
• The Rambling Rose Charity Run was approved for Nov. 10 in Thomasville.
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