The council also voted to appropriate the proceeds from the salvaged items, a total of $8,677.80, to the Comer Arts Museum.
These actions are meant to correct a misunderstanding in which the museum salvaged and sold materials collected from the city-owned school building without proper action from the council.
Councilman Walter Jacobson said he gave the museum the OK to salvage some items after discussing the idea with the council in January, assuming the building had already been declared surplus.
Jacobson said the ordeal has been “very emotional” for the museum staff, and he is glad the council was finally able to set it right.
“They put a lot into it, and they were doing it in good faith based on what they had been told,” Jacobson said, “so I think this was the right thing to do, and I think they’ll be happy with it.”
The items declared surplus and sold include copper aluminum valued at $453.20, bare copper at $5,193.50, mixed brass at $248, mixed steel at $475.80 and other scrap materials at $2,307.30.
Museum personnel had also begun to gather wall tiles, interior wooden doors and door frames and wall lockers when they stopped collecting items in February. Those materials will be assessed for their value and put up for sale, Jacobson said.
Mayor Sam Wright said the city is “certainly glad to get this behind us.”
Councilman Manuell Smith was not present at Tuesday’s meeting.
In other business, the council:
• Recognized the promotion of Police Sgt. Rondell Muse to lieutenant.
• Ratified the Parks and Recreation Board’s action to declare a pool dome structure surplus and sell it through GovDeals.com and to distribute funds received from the sale to the department in the amount of $5,133.75.
• Approved a request from Street Department Superintendent Tommy Woolley to declare a 1993 International truck with knuckle boom loader surplus and authorize its disposal through GovDeals.com.
• Approved a request from Fire Chief Matt Missildine to apply for a grant worth up to $225,000 in fire equipment. A 5 percent local match is required. The council also approved Missildine’s request to contract with Jeff and Cindy Monroe as the grant writers for a 5 percent fee, if the grant is awarded.
• Approved a resolution to renew the public transportation program through East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission. The total operating cost is $106,315. The city will pay a local cash match of $43,760.
• Accepted a proposal from H&B Builders Inc. for labor and materials to install an emergency exit in the basement of the Comer Arts Museum at a cost of $10,084.
• Approved accounts payable of $182,326.05 and payroll of $349,859.71 and checks and transfers for May.
Contact Emily Adams at eadams@dailyhome.com.
