The Brundidge City Council unanimously agreed to seek a grant that would be used to purchase objects such as furniture, bookshelves and other non-construction items for the Tupper Lightfoot Memorial Library.

The idea to apply came about after City Manager Britt Thomas had contact with USDA Rural Development, which would be the funding entity on grant approval.

“We had a call from a representative from the USDA,” Thomas said in Tuesday’s meeting, “they wanted to meet with us…It turned out to be a very productive meeting.”

Thomas said the USDA representative expressed interest in the library expansion and encouraged the city to apply for the grant. The representative gave the city until today to apply in order to allow the city council to discuss the matter.

The approximately $126,000 grant will require about a $40,000 match.

Thomas said that funds already awarded to the city through another grant by the Alabama Public Library Service could be used for the match.

Council members were pleased at the prospect of receiving funds for a project that would have been necessary to begin with.

Thomas said that the Library Board had turned in an extensive list of items that the grant could be used for, and he reminded the council that as of yet, nothing was certain.

“The worst thing about something like this, is if you don’t get it (the grant), you have everybody’s hopes up,” he said.

But Thomas was also optimistic about the city’s chances saying he thought the USDA would have plenty of reasons to approve the application and grant the funds.

In other business, the VFW’s Fred Turner and Neil Thrasher honored Chief of Police Moses Davenport for outstanding service in law enforcement.

“Moses is just like me, he couldn’t have done it without his wife,” Turner said as he handed a plaque to Davenport who stood beside his proud wife.

“I appreciate the city of Brundidge,” Chief Davenport said. “And when I come back to work I’ll have a clean face,” he added while stroking his beard.

The next scheduled city council meeting will be moved from Tuesday May 18, to Thursday May 20.