ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — The Robertsdale City Council authorized bids for resurfacing at its last meeting of 2019 held Dec. 16 at Robertsdale City Hall.
Included among the streets scheduled for 2019-20 resurfacing include:
• Hughen Street (repair) 2,620 feet by 22 feet.
• Harvest Creek, 620 feet by 24 feet.
• Fallbrook Drive, 620 feet by 24 feet.
• Arbor Creek Drive, 620 feet by 24 feet.
• Boulder Lane, 2,520 feet by 24 feet.
• Southfield Lane, 790 feet by 24 feet.
• Barginer Street, 2,630 feet by 20 feet.
• Pennsylvania Street, 2,630 feet by 22 feet (plus widening 2 feet).
• Waste Water Treatment Plant, 100 feet by 100 feet.
• Sun-Diamond, 1,000 feet by 100 feet.
Mayor Charles Murphy announced during the meeting that bids for the city’s new Public Works Complex were scheduled for opening on Thursday, Dec. 19. The new facility will be constructed on property the city owns on Chicago Street north of the police station.
The more than $3.7 million project, which is considered to be Phase 2 of an improvement project surrounding Honeybee Park, which the city plans to complete as part of its Centennial Celebration in 2021, calls for a 23,000 square foot administration office, along with five additional buildings, two warehouses, a mechanic shop, equipment shed and maintenance shop, a total of just under 63,000 square feet.
The facility will be built to withstand hurricane-force winds and is designed to house city employees and anyone who comes in to assist with storm cleanup and power restoration following a storm, which means it will also be equipped for use as a temporary shelter with housing, kitchen and shower facilities.
City engineer Greg Smith said as of Dec. 16 there were seven contractors bidding on the property. The bids will likely come before the council on Jan. 6 for approval.
The low bidder will also have to be approved by the USDA since the project is being considered for a USDA loan. Murphy said USDA approval requires certification of the council minutes from Jan. 6, which could require a special meeting, to be held on Thursday, Jan. 9.
In other business Dec. 16, the council:
• Selected the city’s Business of the Year for 2019. The award will be announced during the Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting which will be held Jan. 16 at the Baldwin County Coliseum.
• Recommended approval for an ABC license for Hub City Express and Hub City Express Package due to a change of ownership.
• Adopted an ordinance for annexation of property on Styron Lane, unanimously approving suspension of the rules and immediate passage by roll call vote. All council members were present for the Dec. 16 meeting.
