Brookhaven officials Tuesday awarded a $647,478 bid to supply anew industry with the first phase of needed sewer and waterservices.

Brookhaven officials Tuesday awarded a $647,478 bid to supply anew industry with the first phase of needed sewer and waterservices.

The project involves a new sewer lift station, a force sewermain line and two sections of gravity sewer lines for the newSpeciality Minerals Inc. facility being built on Fender Trail inthe Industrial Park. The bid, awarded to Greenbriar DiggingService, was the lowest of five received.

David Brewer, with Engineering Associates, said apreconstruction conference should be held in about three weeks andthen work could begin. The contract period is 100 days.

Mayor Bill Godbold said SMI officials had been saying they areready to begin for about a month. He was glad to see the citymoving forward on the project.

“We’re in pretty good shape,” the mayor said.

A $420,000 state economic development grant and $150,000 from ainfrastructure improvement program are expected to be used to fundpart of the project. The city has also passed a $2.2 million waterand sewer revenue bond issue to assist with the total three-phaseproject.

In other action during the short board meeting, aldermenapproved a $63,988 emergency purchase of a backhoe for cityoperation of the garbage transfer station.

The city last month assumed operation of the station after aprivate contract with BFI expired. The city is running it while afeasibility study on a long-term garbage disposal plan is beingdone.

The city had been renting machinery from BFI until it brokeFriday, said Purchasing Agent Steve Moreton. The new backhoeincludes special equipment suited for handling garbage.

Also Tuesday, aldermen expressed a desire to seek a full-timeanimal control officer. Police Chief Fred McKee said officer B.W.Pitts is handling the duties part-time one day a week, but thedepartment is getting a lot of animal-related calls.

“We’re getting calls every day,” McKee said. “It’s a bigproblem.”

Former animal control officer Benton Furlow was recently namedmanager of the Brookhaven Municipal Airport.

Dr. Allan Hearne, a local psychologist, has appealed a boarddecision to deny a special exemption to allow an office in a NorthJackson Street residence, City Attorney Joe Fernald said lastnight. A circuit court hearing date for the appeal has not beenset.

Martha Bates was appointed to the city Board of Adjustments. Shereplaces the Rev. Robert McCall, who did not want to bereappointed.

Aldermen also declared that city-owned property in theIndustrial Park is for industrial prospects only.

“It’s not for private enterprise,” the mayor said.

Godbold said he and some aldermen had received calls fromseveral individuals interested buying some of the property forcommercial or other development. The property in question is nearthe intersection of old Highway 51 and Industrial Park Road.