Selma City Council pays its bills in special called meeting

The Selma City Council paid most of its bills Aug. 7.

In a special called meeting, the city council approved almost all of the 39 bills the mayor’s office presented to them, as well as a few new invoices. Several bills were tabled until the council could get more information. The total came to slightly over $50,000.

The Aug. 7 meeting came after a meeting on Aug. 4 to approve the bills drew only one of the nine city councilpersons because some council members said there wasn’t proper public notice of the meeting. A quorum of the council gathered on Aug. 7 before their regularly scheduled work session to approve the bills.

Earlier this year the Selma City Council passed a resolution that the mayor couldn’t spend more than $1 without council approval. The council said the restriction was needed because the city was spending more than was budgeted.

In its work session, the council agreed to place a $2 million HUD Healthy Homes Program grant on the consent agenda for Tuesday’s council meeting. Items on the consent agenda are typically approved without debate or comment.

The Healthy Homes Program is designed to improve the quality of housing by addressing health and safety hazards in homes, according to the HUD website. The grant will require a local match of $136,000.

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The council also placed on the consent agenda a resolution to hire Place Associates for $60,000 to “support sustainable redevelopment and attainable housing.” The contract is funded by the USDA Rural Community Initiative through Auburn University’s Rural Studio.

The firm will produce a playbook to guide the city redevelop underutilized properties and create a “homeownership pipeline,” according to the resolution.

The city council will consider entering into an agreement with the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials to get a $53,000 grant that will help the city map and assess its aging storm drain system. City Planning Director Danielle Wooten told the council she hopes to get an additional $150,000 grant to expand the project.

The council tabled a request for a liquor license for Selma Spirits and Tobacco on Highland Avenue in the former Paper John’s location. Councilman Christie Thomas said the council should review the license because too many package stores are opening in the city, and there is already one “just down the street” from the proposed store.

Kimberly Smitherman, executive director of Foot Soldiers Park, asked the city council to include the organization in the next city budget. FSP has purchased the Selma Times-Journal building an neighboring properties and has hired about 25 people, Smitherman said.