Aldermen approve police, fire promotions

Promotions in the police and fire departments were approved by Philadelphia aldermen during last Tuesday’ board meeting.

Josh Ray was promoted to the rank of  lieutenant in the Police Department at the pay rate of $19.52 per hour.  

Lathan Davis, Randy Savell and Tyler McKee were promoted from probationary to firefighters at the rate of $12.38 per hour.

In other actions, aldermen voted to:

• Approve an amendment to increase Waggoner Engineers fee for the Booker T. Washington gym renovation project by $20,500, bringing their total contract to $117,558. The increase is for two change orders. 

The board also approved the payment of $145,451 to Perry Construction for its work on the Booker T. project.

• Approve the payment of $7,000 to the Community Development Partnership for retail recruitment;

• Approve a tax exemption application for Weyerhaeuser following its recent expansion;

• Approve the only bid of $64,964 by McDevitt Enterprises, LLC, to correct the erosion problem in the drainage channel between Main and Beacon streets, just west of the Depot;

• Accept the highest bid on the surplus tractor from JJ Merchant at $4,792. Other bids received were as follow: Deanco $4,255, Triplett $500;

• Continue a public hearing for the cleanup of properties on Evergreen and Water streets until the board’s first meeting in July;

• Approve for AT&T to do a road bore from Road 375 to Canal Place. The board also approved a road bore by C-spire along Holland Avenue to the Neshoba Medical Arts Clinic;

• Approve travel requests for Police Chief Eric Lyons and Fire Chief Pierce Clark to attend their respective conferences on the Coast this month; and,

• Approve the purchase of  a rescue boat from One Boat for the price of  $38,383. It will be for by Task Force grant funds.