PELL CITY — The Council failed to vote Monday night for the purchase of former Avondale Mills properties due to the lack of a motion.

Mayor Bill Hereford asked the council if there were any motions to buy Avondale Mills properties, but none of the council members offered a motion.

Hereford said property owners wanted to sell the Avondale Mills property “as is” and were not agreeable to a Phase II assessment of the property, which would have included soil testing of the property.

Councilman Donnie Guinn offered comment after the proposal to buy the property failed for a lack of a motion.

Guinn said he wanted to know how much it would cost the city, if contaminated soil was found on the Avondale Mills plant site, before he would vote in favor of buying the land.

He asked the mayor and council to look at a further Phase II assessment, which would include soil tests.

Council members said they would not consider buying the Avondale Mills property unless the property underwent soil testing to ensure there is no hazardous waste on the property.

Guinn said if the owners allowed the city to move forward with a Phase II environmental assessment, he would hope the mayor would bring the matter back to the council.

Hereford said he would and he continues to negotiate with Pell City-Tifton Properties, LLC.

Hereford told the council last week that Pell City-Tifton Properties, LLC, agreed to sell all the Avondale Mills property the company owns in Pell City for $2.47 million or the well site and 28-acre Avondale Mills plant site together for $2.2 million, or approximately $52,000 per acre for the plant site, not including the court-determined fair market well site price of $750,000, currently under appeal by both parties in St. Clair County Circuit Court.

Guinn also read an opinion in a Phase I environmental assessment completed by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and released only a few weeks ago.

“Based on current available information and past operational history, there is a low possibility that contamination exist at the site,” the opinion states. “The potential for contamination exists for both groundwater and soil pathways, but are unlikely at elevated levels. ADEM recommends that no further assessment be performed.”

But the assessment also states later in its conclusions the potential for soil contamination problems.

“This assessment has revealed the potential for adverse environmental conditions at this location,” the assessment states.

The report also states the assessment did not include any sampling of water, groundwater, soil or air.

“There is no chemical analysis available to indicate soil or air contamination associated with this site, however operational activities at the site may potentially have led to contamination of the soil,” the Phase I assessment states.

A textile mill operated on the 28-acre site for more than 100 years.

Other council members last week said Pell City-Tifton Properties wanted too much money for the property, there were potential liabilities on the property, and proper soil tests, an appraisal and geological survey was needed before city officials should consider the purchase of the former Avondale Mills plant property.

Hereford told the council he personally would have bought the property “as is,” and said it was an ideal location in the middle of the city for a new library and park.

“I want it so bad I can taste it,” he said last week.

Last week, other council members pointed to the economic downturn and other city needs, saying the city did not need to be in the real estate business.

Councilmen Greg Gossett and James McGowan said they were in favor of buying enough Avondale Mills property for a library site, but the city did not need the entire 28-acre plant site.

Councilwoman Dot Wood said last week she would not vote to purchase the Avondale Mills plant site, because the city has so much debt.

Councilmen Donnie Todd and Guinn said they would consider buying the property if proper soil tests were completed.

At Monday night’s council meeting, Gossett also said there are other potential sites for the new library, which could open up within two years, sites that have a building and parking lot.

Library Director Danny Stewart said the city has only one year to use a $250,000 grant it received for the construction of a new library or the purchase of a new library site.

A former city official said the city was offered two potential library sites at no cost to the city.

One proposed library site was located on the Jefferson State Community College campus, which four years ago Hereford supported.

Another potential library site is along Hardwick Road, next to Williams Intermediate School. The former mayor and council passed a resolution before leaving office supporting that location for the new library.