By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
In the only action taken during the Atmore City Council’s Monday, February 12, meeting, council members approved an extension of the deadline for completing a contract to cut city-owned timber near Atmore Industrial Park.
District 3’s Eunice Johnson was unable to attend the meeting, but the other four council members gave unanimous approval to the measure, which stretches the date of completion for the timber harvesting by a month, with little discussion.
The original sales agreement called for Alto Products, which is in charge of the cutting, to complete the job by May 22, 2024. The amendment gives the company until June 24 to finish the job.
The agreement was approved last June by the city council. Mayor Jim Staff said the trees to be cut are “scraggly,” but the city got a good price for them. That price has not yet been disclosed.
The agreement calls for the purchaser to provide the city with “an accurate and timely weekly accounting showing the number of trees cut by weight and product type and the dollar amount.”
The city is to be paid weekly as the trees are cut. Alto Products is maintaining load-by-load accounting for all delivered trees through scale tickets from the mill to which trees are delivered.
City Clerk Becca Smith said the start of the timber harvest had been delayed and cutting crews just recently began their work.
“I got the first check this week,” she said. “They’re just getting started.”
The next council meeting is set for 4 p.m. on Monday, February 26.