By By BILL CRIST – Publisher
A Brewton business owner is not happy about the city's new ordinance regarding the parking of tractor-trailers. The ordinance was unanimously approved Tuesday at the Brewton City Council meeting.
Rita Boyd, co-owner of B&B Furniture in downtown Brewton, told the council that it often takes several days to unload their business' trailer. The council was in process of voting on the ordinance, which had been presented for discussion and introduced at its previous two meetings. Boyd addressed the council after a motion to adopt the ordinance had been made, but was told that the appropriate time for public comment would have been at a previous meeting or after the vote was taken.
Boyd also has a recycling business located downtown, which has an unattached trailer where the public can leave cans. Boyd was told that both situations are a violation of the new ordinance.
The council also voted to approve the transfer of one business' retail beer and wine license, while tabling another application until a public hearing can be held.
The council approved the transfer of the retail beer and retail wine license to the new owners of G&J Quick Stop on Douglas Ave.
Side Waze, a sports bar located inside the Brewton Motor Inn, also applied for a transfer. Councilman Mervin Huff said he would like to ask the new owners about how they are going to handle underage drinking, which he said he thought had been a problem in the past at that location. A motion was made to hold the request until a public hearing could be held on the matter. That meeting will take place before the council's meeting on April 22.
The council voted to give city clerk John Angel the go ahead to pursue five new police vehicles and a fire truck with Government Acquisitions, Inc. The company "leases" emergency response vehicles to municipalities for three years for $1. Government Acquisitions, Inc. finds sponsors for the vehicles and as sponsors are located for a particular city's vehicles, they are ordered and delivered. According to Angel, sponsors can be any types of company except those selling alcohol, tobacco and drugs. Brewton has requested and been approved for the vehicles, although no sponsors have been secured.
Ricky Elliott, environmentalist with the Health Dept., told the council that the department is currently working on a public education campaign to help prevent the spread of West Nile Virus. Elliott said that although the virus was found in Escambia County in animals, the virus was not found in humans.
Lt. Randy Nicholson presented a draft copy of the Brewton Police Dept.'s operating manual. Nicholson said it had not been updated since 1993, and that the revisions were in line with the International Chiefs of Police policy. Councilmen Frank Cotten and Walter (Jake) Lewis and city attorney Joe Thompson will review the manual.
Brewton Mayor Ted Jennings appointed two committees to nominate individuals to vacancies on two city boards. There is one opening on the Water Board and two on the Housing Authority.
The council approved two bids, one for the new NOAA Weather antenna and one for trash bags.
International Radio and Electronics, Corp. in Elkhart, Indiana submitted the only bid on the transmitter. The bid of $45,894 is within the amount of the grant the city received for the project.
The city also approved Dyna Pak Corp.'s bid for trash bags. The bid was actually the middle one of three submitted, but Angel said the bags that were part of the low bid were too easily torn and recommended the next one. Dyna Pak currently provides the city's trash bags.
Martha Simmons asked the council to grant a right-of-way on behalf of Matt Waters. Waters owns property that is locked in by other lots, including several parcels owned by the city. Simmons said he was asking for a right-of-way off the end of Dogwood Lane. She said he'd purchased a lot at the end of Dogwood Lane that would give him access to the right of way. Thompson asked Simmons to bring a deed or other proof that Waters owned the property at the end of Dogwood Lane. According to Thompson, that has been an issue before when similar requests have been brought before the council.
In other business, the council;