By By BILL CRIST – Publisher
Local certified public account Vance Kilgore was on hand at Tuesday's Brewton City Council meeting to present a certificate of achievement recognizing the city's excellence in financial reporting related to its annual audit.
Brewton Mayor Ted Jennings said that with all the controversy surrounding accounting methods, he thought that it was important for citizens to know about the recognition.
According to Kilgore, the city submits a comprehensive financial report to the Government Finance Officers Association, which is then graded. He said that while the Brewton report had a few comments, the association reported no major problems.
Downtown Brewton will soon be seeing some improvements, courtesy of a grant through the federal government and administered through the Alabama Department of Transportation. According to Pete Diurno, a project to install sidewalks and lighting, as well as landscaping, along Mildred and Persimmon Streets will carry a total price tag of $93,750. The grant will cover $75,000 of the expense, with the city being responsible for the balance. The ordinance was passed unanimously.
Brewton fire chief Lawrence Weaver told the council his department had hosted the Southeast/Southwest Alabama Fire Chiefs Association's annual meeting at the community center on Nov. 14. He said that 45 chiefs were in attendance and that the city's firemen had prepared a meal for the meeting. He indicated that because of the success at this year's meeting, the group would likely return in two years.
Councilman Jake Lewis updated the council for the dilapidated houses committee. A total of 59 notices were issued for abandoned vehicles, 11 for abandoned houses, 13 for overgrowth and six for rubbish.
Councilman Dennis Dunaway asked to carry over the committee report that is looking at introducing an ordinance regulating the parking of 18-wheelers in certain parts of Brewton.
In other business the council voted to;