Staff Writer

Dec. 7, 1999 10 PM

A nutrition center for the elderly, though $50,000 over budget, is what city of Brundidge officials feel the residents need.

The Brundidge City Council met yesterday to discuss several items of importance, one of which was the city’s building of a nutrition center for the elderly.

"It’s $50,000 over what we budgeted," Brundidge City Manager Britt Thomas said. "So it will cost us a little bit more money. But it will get us the building that we want and what the city of Brundidge has to have."

Brundidge Mayor Jimmy Ramage agreed with Thomas.

"It’s good from a multipurpose standpoint," he said. "One, it will take care of the senior citizens and number two, it will provide us with a good resource for the city, which could possibly be approved on over time."

The motion was put forth by councilmember Jaine Treadwell to allow the Mayor and City Manager to contract the lowest bidder and get the nutrition center underway. The motion was seconded by councilmember Cynthia Person and was voted on and approved by all members of the council.

"I’m sure we’ll all be involved down the road," Mayor Ramage said. "And since we didn’t get the total project like we wanted, we are going to have the opportunity to improve on project sometime in the future with some of our own resources."

Superintendent of the Pike County Schools system, Dr. John Day, was on hand to discuss the re-wording or removal of street signs in front of the Pike County Elementary School. Apparently the signs are worded in a way that have confused several Brundidge residents that live around the school. The sign at the corner of Elm Street and Hillcrest Drive, informs all traffic to ‘keep right’ in one direction, but as the Mayor and Dr. Day agree the sign should only be referred to during school hours; and should be worded as such.

"I just want to apologize," Dr. Day said. "I’m certain we didn’t want to cause any confusion or disrespect to any of the citizens of Brundidge; that was not the intention."

The council also approved a three-year contract, as forwarded by the Pike County Commision, to retain the use of Haynes Ambulance service of Troy.

"To my knowledge Haynes has provided adequate service to Brundidge citizens," Thomas said. "It’s not the personal service that we had when we had a volunteer rescue squad, but when you look at it from a cost stand point it’s less then $7,OOO dollars as opposed to $30,000 annually."

The Council closed the meeting with a discussion of the holiday schedule for city workers. City employees will get off for Christmas at noon on Thursday the 23rd and return to work the following Monday, on the 27th. For New Years, employees will be off Friday the 31st. Garbage pickup for the city will remain the same.