Staff Writer

BRUNDIDGE – Brundidge City Council voted unanimously to revise the city’s personnel policy regarding the probationary period for police officers at its meeting here Tuesday.

Council members discussed the plan proposed by Brundidge Police Chief Moses Davenport and added sections 6.3 and 6.4 to the policy regarding "Probationary Period for New Employees."

The change makes the probation period for new police officers nine months, according to the policy. Certified police officers have a probationary period of three months.

It ensures the police department will have at least six consecutive months to evaluate new officers’ performance after they complete police academy training and before their probationary period expires, said City Manager Britt Thomas.

In the city manager’s report, Thomas told council members about two issues involving the city’s water system.

Because of personal changes, the city failed to meet a federally mandated deadline for annual lead and copper testing, Thomas said. Although a mistake was made, it does not mean there is a problem with the city’s water system.

The test is conducted in randomly selected residences on city water, and it tests for copper and lead in the pipes of those homes, he said.

Although the city conducted the test in October and November, it did not turn in test results for the official July, August and September 1999 testing period.

"This is a terrible thing because it makes people wonder, but the purpose is to determine your personal plumbing at home," Thomas said. "It was missed because of a lack of communication between management and city employees about the requirements."

To remedy the situation, the city must provide notification of the missed test deadline to its water customers.

The city is also preparing to do a source water assessment as required by federal law, he said. This test monitors the city’s wells through monitoring equipment installed in wells dug around the wells.

The city has two active wells, Thomas said. A third well is no longer operating but is on the government’s records. The city is trying to have this well exempted from the testing, he said.

The city is eligible for a $13,600 grant from Alabama Department of Environmental Management, which it must match dollar for dollar, to fund the testing, Thomas said.

In other business, council members discussed traffic flow at Elm Street.

"The school system erected signs making it a one-way street, but I don’t believe anyone but council has the ability to regulate streets," Thomas said. "The purpose probably was safety from a traffic standpoint.

"The issue is that if police officers try to enforce violations and it goes to court, there may be a problem when the city can’t show laws supporting the one-way."

Although no official action was taken on the matter, council members agreed Thomas would look into the matter.

Council members also discussed the future location of the senior nutrition center.

The senior nutrition center will need to vacate its present location at the armory at the start of 2000 because the building’s owner needs to use the facility for other purposes, Thomas said. However, the facility the city hopes to build to house the center will not be ready at that time.

Several properties, including a church, the old dollar general store, the old bus station and Galloway Park, were suggested as a temporary location for the center.

"The park would be the easiest and least expensive place to temporarily locate the senior nutrition center," said Mayor Jimmy Ramage.

Thomas said a new bid day of Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. had been set for the new senior nutrition center, which is to be a multipurpose facility.

Council members unanimously agreed to reappoint the following citizens to city boards:

-Herbert Reynolds to Planning Commission

– Dixie Shehane, Constance Bivins and Douglas Ingram to Board of Adjustments

– Dianne Johnston to Library Board