By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
Atmore City Council, sitting two members short, accepted bids from a Mobile firm to conduct the city’s planned 21-street resurfacing project and from a Flomaton firm to handle the widening of Carpet Drive.
The council also approved a request from Atmore’s Yellow Hats Society to name the road in front of the pool at Houston Avery Park “George Mosby Drive” after the legendary Escambia County Training School coach and teacher.
Mosby coached the Golden Eagles to a 48-26-7 record during his 15 seasons (1955-1969) at the helm of the ECTS football team. (Some years the team played only 2-4 games.) In 1957, the team went unranked in the Alabama Interscholastic Athletic Association despite an 8-0 mark.
Council members Webb Nall (District 1) and Jerome Webster (District 2) were not able to attend the meeting for unspecified reasons.
As far as the paving project, the only holdup now is delivery of the city’s audited financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2021. Mayor Jim Staff said city officials had not yet received the audit, which is being conducted by local Certified Public Accounting firm Waller, Crook and Jones.
City economic advisor and grant writer Chris Walker said during a November council meeting that financing for the resurfacing project hinges on the audit.
“Our bond person won’t give us quotes unless we have the audits for the past three years,” Walker said. “Our bank is the same way; they’ve got to have the audit so they can do a debt service coverage analysis.”
When the street paving does start, it will be done by H.O. Weaver & Sons. The three council members formally accepted the Mobile-based contractor’s bid of $2,117,112.26.
The Carpet Drive widening will be done by Flomaton-based Arrington Curb and Excavation, which submitted a bid of $348,000 that was accepted by the council.
In other business, the council:
*Approved an application for a liquor license for the Strand Theater and Encore (former Atmore Hardware Store).
*Selected District 5 Councilman Chris Harrison as the council’s first alternate voting delegate at the annual business meeting of the Alabama League of Municipalities. Mayor Pro Tem (District 4) Shawn Lassiter was chosen as second alternate.
*Approved the 2nd Annual Autism Awareness Walk, to be held April 1. The walk will begin at Atmore City Hall at 9 a.m. and end at Heritage Park, where a short program will be held, and refreshments offered.
*Passed two resolutions dealing with the “reasonable costs incurred” in the city’s recent demolition or repair of public nuisance properties at 53 Harris Street ($8,173.46) and 75 Jones Street (7,682.85). Tax liens will be filed against those properties.