Meadville seeks bidders for sale of used public works equipment

The Town of Meadville will open bids at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 9 for several pieces of heavy equipment it plans to sell in hopes of thinning some of its aging public works inventory with an eye toward hopefully purchasing a new tractor in the near future.

During the Meadville Board of Aldermen’s monthly business meeting on Tuesday, April 11, Mayor Lane B. Reed said his goal was to see what the town might get for the equipment being sold to the highest bidder in hopes of generating some revenue that would go toward purchasing a new 75 to 85 horsepower tractor.

“We could utilize a new tractor to pull the bushhog and use it in a variety of situations around town … ideally with a small scoop on it to help maintain ditches,” Reed said.

Among the items being sold are a Ford 6600 tractor and long-arm mower, a Ford 3910 tractor, a Farmtrac 70 tractor and small-arm mower and an extra long-arm mower boom for parts.

Earlier this year, Meadville officials purchased a 1999 model, 105 horsepower John Deere tractor with a long-arm mower, and, last month, secured a loan totaling $35,393 at an interest rate of 6.15 percent with monthly notes of $1,759.41 for the tractor and related gear.

The recently purchased unit will play a key role in vegetative control at and upkeep of the town’s sewer lagoon.

Reed said having another tractor with associated equipment — possibly for purchase off the established state contract — was something municipal leaders have set as a priority.

In a separate piece of business, Reed formally announced the Scenic Rivers Development Alliance had been awarded up to $8 million by the Mississippi Legislature to support the work associated with a lodge and conference center at Franklin County’s Okhissa Lake.

“(The appropriation) is a good thing in allowing us to go forward on that project, which will greatly impact our town,” Reed said.

Plans call for the construction of a 200-room lodge and 1,000-person conference facility, which could be in operation by 2025 based on previous timetables announced for the project.

In other business to come before the board, aldermen took the following actions:

• Approved a resolution for a United States Department of Agriculture application to purchase a new police vehicle — similar to the Dodge Durango bought previously — for the town.

Town officials set aside up to $10,000 in the town’s current budget to supplement federal money earmarked for buying the vehicle.

Reed noted Congress had earmarked $30,000 based on the town’s request for assistance for its police department.

No timetable has been announced as to when Meadville might receive the federal funding as it continues to submit required paperwork to complete the allocation process.

Once purchased, the vehicle will have to be striped and law enforcement-related equipment must be installed.

• Authorized a board order to secure loan rates from financial institutions pending the approval of federal ARPA — an acronym for American Rescue Plan Act — funds through the state for the purchase and installation of digital water meters in Meadville.

• Hired Denise Wentworth as a deputy municipal clerk following the recommendation of Reed.

• Voted to accept the town’s water and sewer written policies, with limited revisions, following an annual review of the documentation by Reed, Town Clerk Leslie Thompson and municipal attorney Will Halford.

• Allowed a right-of-way permit to Atmos Energy for the placement of natural gas infrastructure at a new service station that will be located inside the former United Mississippi Bank branch on Main Street.

• Reed noted the National Day of Prayer observance in Meadville would take place on Thursday, May 4 with plans to be announced for where the program will be held.

• Selected Mayor Pro Tempore Charles Calcote as the town’s delegate to an upcoming meeting of the Mississippi Rural Water Association to be held in Flowood.

• Approved a series of formal recognitions for the town, including the observance of National Pecan Month during April; Municipal Clerks Week from Sunday, April 30 through Saturday, May 6; Police Week from Sunday, May 14 through Saturday, May 20; and Public Works Week from Sunday, May 21 through Saturday, May 27.

The next meeting for the Meadville Board of Aldermen will be held at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 9 at town hall on Main Street.