News Editor

The Brundidge City Council faced several issues concerning industrial development in the city during their regular meeting Tuesday, Feb. 5.

City Administrator Britt Thomas informed the mayor and council that BFI had withdrawn their request for a 3,500 tons per day limit in order to bring garbage to the landfill there from other states in the southeast. He said the company did so in order to keep from being locked in with that amount.

Thomas explained that because the 90-day deadline for the city to take action on the request was fast approaching, BFI chose to withdraw their offer, because if the deadline passed without any action being taken it would automatically be approved.

At the same time, Thomas said, BFI made a new request for a 7,500 tons per day limit, in order to bring in garbage from areas west of the Mississippi River, to include New Orleans.

"This could turn out to be mutually rewarding for both the city and BFI," Thomas said after the meeting.

He said the city now has until April to decide whether or not to take action on the request.

In other business, Thomas told the council the city’s request for $1.4 million in funding for the needed improvements to County Road 6 where it meets U.S. Highway 231 was approved by the Road and Bridge Authority last Thursday when they met in Montgomery. The improvements are needed to handle the increase in truck traffic to the Wal-Mart distribution center to be built on the road on land across from the Brundidge Country Club.

Thomas said the money would also be used for the improvements needed to be made to the traffic signal at the intersection.

He also told the council that in order for South Alabama Electric Cooperative to finish running the lines for the power supply to the site, easements had to be negotiated with two property owners. He added that the new lines would tie in with a new substation, which SAEC will build.

Concerning another matter, Thomas told the council the city had attained the 70 acres of property near the city cemetery to be used for an industrial park. The first company to locate in the park will be Southern Classic Foods, which is currently located in the old Piggly Wiggly building.

Thomas said the cleaning off of the area has begun so the survey work can be done on the property. "We hope to be able to add a new industrial street to the property," he said, adding that negotiations with three property owners for right of way easements would have to be conducted.