Andalusia City Council approves property trade

The Andalusia City Council on Tuesday completed a property swap with another local property owner.

The city real estate being accepted by the city is along Coleman Avenue, a street that connects the bypass and Andalusia High School.

“You will notice a lot of work going on there with the street being widened, sidewalks and a media in the middle. It will be much improved,” said Mayor Earl Johnson.

In exchange, Robert Bishop will receive from the city a property lot located on Sixth Avenue.

According to the mayor, both properties were appraised with the Bishop’s original property being appraised at a higher value than the property he is receiving on Sixth Avenue.

The council first approved an ordinance to declare the Sixth Avenue property as surplus, allowing for the passage of a resolution confirming the property swap.

Another item discussed by the council regarding property involved a building owned jointly by the city and the industrial development board. The building, located in the city’s industrial park, was being leased to Triple H Specialty, which asked to purchase the building. The council approved selling the building for $300,000 minus previous lease payments, which brings the amount to $262,000. That amount will be split with the industrial development board.

Other items discussed at the meeting included:

• approving a bid from Wiregrass Construction Company for asphalt and other street resurfacing materials.
• approving to spend $50,000 for the construction of a pole barn behind the old Alatex building for the purpose of storing Candyland cottages.
• approving to spend $31,300 for interior painting at the city hall.

The next meeting of the city council will be held Tuesday, Dec. 19, at 11 a.m. in city hall’s upstairs conference room.