The City of Brundidge now has a new bus for its senior center thanks to the cooperative spirit of the City of Troy.

City Manager Britt Thomas said the City was not eligible for the designated round of Alabama Department of Transportation Multi Modal grants.

“A city can only apply every so many years and this wasn’t our year but we really needed a new bus for our seniors,” Thomas said. “Troy was eligible for the grant but didn’t need the funds. Troy made application for the grant and received it. The City of Brundidge then paid the City of Troy for the cost of the bus. We greatly appreciate Troy working with us to make this happen for our seniors and our city.”

In addressing the City Council Tuesday, Thomas said the city’s match for the $28,711 grant was $9,700.

In new business, the Council voted to declare a lawn mower used by the water, sewer and electric departments surplus and purchase a new mower. The surplus mower will be placed for sale on gov.deal.

The City has recently installed new water meters as part of the city’s upgrade of the water system. The Council declared 1,300 “old” water meters surplus. The meters will be available for sale in bulk.

Thomas reviewed the city’s gas tax revenues with the Council.

“In the past, the 2-cent local tax has generated as much as $120,000 in a year but, in recent years, we have seen a dramatic decrease in revenue,” Thomas said. “Right now, we’re up 2.27 percent from this time last year. If the trend continues, we could end the year at $80,000.”

Thomas said the City is not spending any of the gas tax money, with the exception of the $40,000 for street repairs on Veterans Boulevard.

Jennifer Amlong, children’s librarian at the Tupper Lightfoot Memorial Library, was a guest of the council and gave an update on the library’s summer reading program.

“Attendance has been very good, probably the best it’s been in a while,” she said. “We have about 75 kids at our weekly summer programs and we had more than 100 at our Thursday programs that are open to the public.”

Amlong said the most recent summer reading program presenter was Michael P. White, a noted illustrator.

Michael P. White illustrated Carmen Agra Deedy’s award-winning children’s book, “The Library Dragon.”

Deedy was recently the featured teller at June Buggin’ event at the We Piddle Around Theater. She presented to autographed books to the library.

Amlong said it was exciting to have an author and illustrator of a nationally acclaimed book visit the Tupper Lightfoot Memorial Library, both in the same month.

Council Member Margaret Ross brought several concerns before the council.

“People in the Caldwell Subdivision are concerned about litter and messy yards,” she said. “When some residents mow their yards, the grass goes into the street. Others blow grass into the street and the streets look bad. When it rains the grass is washed into the drains and long the curbs and it’s a mess.”

Ross said residents on Ramage Circle have requested that the Council have speed bumps placed on the street.

“There are a lot of children on that street and cars fly all up and down it,” she said.

Ross also questioned the council members as to what the Council could do to help downtown merchants stay in business.

“Grafton’s Furniture Store has closed. He said he can’t afford to pay the utilities,” she said.

Mayor Jimmy Ramage said that was not true. The City has lower utility rates than other towns. The closing, he said, was due to lack of sales.

Ross asked the difference between residential and commercial electrical accounts. Thomas said that depends on usage and there is a difference between the fixed rates for the two. He did not say what the difference is.

Kenneth Jackson, a resident of John Street, requested speed bumps for John Street.

“It’s for the kids’ safety,” he said. “My kids and others were playing out in the street on Saturday. Then, on Saturday night, a car came speeding up the street and ran into a building. What if that had happened earlier in the day. We need a speed bump on our street for the safety of the kids.”

The Brundidge City Council meets at 4 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays of the month at Brundidge City Hall. The meetings are open to the public.