More land for industrial growth will get attention afterBrookhaven officials voted Tuesday to take out an $8,000 option topurchase 40 acres north of the current industrial park.

More land for industrial growth will get attention afterBrookhaven officials voted Tuesday to take out an $8,000 option topurchase 40 acres north of the current industrial park.

The option will give city officials one year to decide whetherthey want to buy the land, which would cost $240,000 at $6,000 anacre.

“If the city exercises that option, the $8,000 would be appliedto the purchase price,” said Chandler Russ, chamber of commerceexecutive vice-president.

Ward 4 Alderman Bob Massengill expressed support for theplan.

“If we’re going to be competitive in the industrial area . . .we’ve got to really look toward getting additional property,”Massengill said.

After a five-acre land sale for a new industry at the last boardmeeting, Russ said only 16.1 acres are available in the currentindustrial park. Another five acres is expected to be sold in a fewmonths for the second phase of the new industry project.

Officials are pursuing a study of possible new industrial parksites. The $100,000 study is being funded with city, county, VisionPartnership funds and an economic development grant.

Russ said study sites range from 490 to 1,100 acres. He said atleast a 450-acre site needs to be developed.

“You need a piece of property that’s going to sustain Brookhavenand Lincoln County for the next 20 to 25 years,” Russ said.

In other action Tuesday, aldermen:

* Heard from industrial park businessmen Ed Gove and DustyFerguson regarding flooding around Gove thermometer plant, Chemstarand Keystone-Seneca. They said the flooding creates problems andasked for the city engineer to check the area.

“Every time there’s a significant rain, we have water over theroad,” Ferguson said.

The city’s engineers are expected to look into thesituation.

* Delayed action on Kim Carr’s request to renew her employeedrug-testing contract with the city.

Aldermen last year awarded a similar contract to the HumanPerformance Company, and the city now has two companies providingthe services. Officials elected to contact Human PerformanceCompany before making a decision on the situation.

* Approved a $16,671 bid for equipment and installation of a newfuel management system for the airport. A decision was delayedbriefly last night until sufficient funding could be determinedfollowing a current year budget revision.

* Authorized city officials to contact owners of T.H. PerkinsFurniture Company regarding clean up of their property. Ward 5Alderman Tom Smith said the owners had been given sufficient timebut had not acted.

* Accepted the city school district’s budget request for nextyear and a notice of a shortfall loan. The district did not receiveabout $265,000 in requested funding this year and trustees voted totake out the loan, which must be covered with a special levy onproperty taxes.

* Approved Ward 6 Alderman John E. “Buddy” Allen’srecommendation to have business cards and stationery printed forboard members who want them. He said the cards would help cityofficials when they attend conventions and gatherings with othercities’ elected officials. The cost was estimated at around$700.

* Set up an Aug. 16 meeting with some property owners whose landis needed for a Field Lark Lane sewer improvement project. CityAttorney Joe Fernald said engineers had reworked some of theproject in the area in the area west of Highway 51.

The upcoming meeting is for property owners east of the highway,Fernald said.

* Authorized Fernald to contact bond attorney Randy Wallregarding lower-than-expected revenue collections following a bondissue to provide needed water and sewer services to a new industrylast year. The city’s next note on the bonds is due inNovember.