Nearly $20,000 separated the two bids submitted to the City of Brookhaven for work on an intersection.

Ryan Holmes of Dungan Engineering said the two bids were received for work on the T-intersection of South Railroad Avenue and Warren Avenue, to straighten the roadway where the Warren Avenue bridge was once located. Greenbriar Digging Services submitted a bid of $6,000 for the project, while T.L. Wallace submitted a bid of $25,600.

When Holmes relayed the bids to the Board of Aldermen Tuesday, more than one asked him to repeat the numbers. Questions such as, “Did you say …?” and “Was this for the same job?” were voiced by a few aldermen.

“Yes,” Holmes answered. “I think they weren’t really interested in that one.”

Without further discussion or hesitation, the Board approved the $6,000 bid unanimously.

 

Sewer and water projects

Tramone Smith and Stephen Barnett of WGK Engineering asked the Board to grant permission to advertise for bids on the Brignall Road/Brown’s Loop Sewer and Water Project, which was approved 7-0.

Public Works Director Krix Xifos reminded the aldermen that they had approved $25,400 to be spent on water tower repair at the May 7 meeting of the Board. Once further inspection into what needed to be done had begun, Xifos said the extent of the job had to be expanded. He asked the Board to rescind the $25,400 approval and instead approve $57,600, submitted by Greenbriar, for the total job.

“Once we started to dig into the job, we realized this is the way we’ve got to go,” Xifos said.

The tower’s altitude valve, 12-inch main pipes in two directions, and 12-inch insert valves on each pipe must be inserted “hot” into the lines from Hwy. 51 to Georgia Avenue. The “hot” insertion will prevent the water system from having to be shut down to make the repairs.

The other bid received was from Mitchell Construction for $64,250. The Board approved the change, as well as $6,074 to replace the ice machine at the City Barn.

 

In other business

Xifos told the mayor and aldermen that talks with the County Board of Supervisors and prospective bidders on garbage collection and the Transfer Station went well on Monday.

“I think it went well, and we communicated well,” he said. “June 3 is when we’ll receive our bids.”

City Inspector David Fearn said the Planning Commission had made two recommendations at its May meeting. The first was to grant special permission for Cornerstone Church to utilize the former Serenity House at 519 N. Church St. as an assisted living facility, which was approved 7-0 by the Board.

The second was some comments and recommendations on the proposed Mobile Home Park Ordinance. Fearn said some people in attendance at the meeting had questions or objections, and those were noted in his written report submitted to the aldermen.

“The only people who had questions or objectives were d— slum lords,” said Alderman-at-large Don Underwood, present via phone.

“That’s not accurate,” Fearn said. “I was at the meeting.”

After limited discussion, the Board tabled the matter for further review.

The City also:

• Received the Fire Department report of 21 runs in the city and 8 outside.
• Approved for Police Chief Kenneth Collins to attend the 2024 MACP Summer Education Conference June 18-21 in Biloxi. City will pay $350 registration, lodging, and meal reimbursement.
• Approved pay request 4 to Beacon Construction, $91,462.74, for work completed on the North Jackson Street Bridge Replacement Project.
• Approved pay request 1 to Dickerson & Bowen, $214,945.27, for work completed on the Citywide Paving Project.
• Approved Deputy City Clerk Mavis Stewart to attend the BBI Workshop in Jackson on Budgetary Program Training June 10 at a cost of $200; city will reimburse mileage.
• Approved Human Resource Director/Payroll Clerk April Suchy to attend BBI Workshop in Jackson on Payroll Program June 11 at a cost of $200; city will reimburse mileage.
• Approved the sole-source purchase from Metrix Solutions of EOS & Rocket In-Car Video System and body-worn camera bundles at $14,120.80 for the Police Department.
• Approved to hire Dajuantae Smith as a part-time laborer in the Street Department at $10.55 per hour, pending drug test and physical, as part of the Summer Youth Work Program.
• Approved to hire Kaden Charles as a part-time laborer in the Street Department at $10.55 per hour, pending drug test and physical, as part of the Summer Youth Work Program.
• Approved to hire Javion Campbell as a Water Department laborer at $10.55 per hour, pending drug test and physical.
• Approved to spread on minutes that Water Department applicant Randy Hudson did not complete the pre-requisites for employment with the City of Brookhaven; therefore the job offer has been rescinded.