VERNON, Ala. — The Vernon City Council Monday selected Burton Builders Inc., of Belmont, Mississippi, to construct sewer lines and roads at the Vernon Industrial Park, where K & S Lumber is building a saw mill.
The council selected the $78,286 bid from Burton Builders Inc., which first must be approved by the state to perform “municipal city work”, according to Curt Hankins, engineer for Goodwin, Mills and Caywood, of Vernon.
Hankins said the construction company has a license to perform building construction, and though the board could approve the bid and have the contract drawn, Burton Builders Inc. could not begin work until they’re cleared for municipal utility work.
“I talked to an attorney, and they determined that as long as Burton was able to add that to their licenses, they’re good,” Hankins said.
Hankins also noted the possibility of using leftover monies from the bid to extend a water line and K & S’ preference for a gravel road in the park over a traditional asphalt surface, as the former is easier to maintain.
The council also approved a $1 raise in its garbage collection fee for residents, resulting in a $16 per-household monthly rate, effective Aug. 1. Waste Management informed the city of a raise in its rate with the city, which prompted discussion of lower and higher increases and how the line item in the city’s budget could be affected. Mayor Glenn Crawford said the city would absorb another year or two of rate increases from Waste Management by increasing its monthly rate by $1. He also noted that city employees empty some of the more than 1,000 trash containers each month.
The council also approved the following:
■ The purchase of a hot-water heater and a toilet, totaling $250 and $500, respectively, for the city park.
■ The Vernon Rescue Squad promotions of Brad Lyons and Dennis Bradford to assistant chief and chief, respectively. Lyons’ promotion is contingent upon earning EMT certification.
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