The Sneads town council held its monthly meeting on Thursday, April 13 at city hall.
The first topic for discussion concerned numerous complaints about sound quality and other issues with streaming town meetings on Facebook.
Town Computer Consultant Jason Johnson said that he has consulted with vendors, and believes he can overhaul the current system for not much more than $6,000.
After discussing the matter, the council voted unanimously to suspend use of the existing system and work to get a more reliable system as soon as possible.
The council then discussed an ongoing issue with FEMA Disaster Recovery funding, particularly with getting lights installed in the local ballfield.
According to IParametrics representatives Jeff Stevens and Mark Albright, who are the FEMA Disaster Recovery consultants for the town, the next step in the process is to have an electrical engineer complete a detailed survey of what can be repaired or replaced.
The council voted unanimously to authorize the study.
Next, Town Manager Lee Garner opened and read sealed bids for eight surplus police and maintenance vehicles, and all eight vehicles had bids higher than the minimum.
The council voted unanimously to accept the bids, and the winners will be notified after April 17.
The council then reviewed the results for the April 11 municipal election.
Group 5 incumbent Councilwoman Angela Locke defeated Ray Carlson 135 votes to 35 to retain her seat on the council.
The council voted unanimously to accept the poll results, and the swearing-in ceremony will be held on May 9.
The next item for discussion was the purchase of a new vehicle for the town maintenance department fleet.
Town Manager Garner presented an offer from Talquin Electric for a 2022 Ford F-250 with 149,000 miles for $12,000.
The last vehicle purchase for the department was in 2017, and wear and tear has made a new vehicle necessary, according to Garner.
The council voted unanimously to authorize the vehicle to be purchased.
Finally, the council considered a request to approve a Scope of Services and Fee agreement with Baskerville Donovan, Inc. to design a new boat landing, dock, and parking at Sneads Park.
The request was approved by the council with a unanimous vote.
Stephen Klein – Gadsden County News Service
