City seeks bids for restroom work

The city of Philadelphia moved to the next phase on the Booker T. Washington gym renovation project when aldermen voted to advertise for bids to redo the bathrooms and make them handicap accessible.

Aldermen passed the motion on a 4-0 vote during their meeting last Tuesday. 

Ward 2 Alderman Jim Fulton made the motion and Ward 4 Alderman Shaun Seales seconded it to advertise for bids on the project engineered by Allen & Hoshall. The work will include handicap accessible entrances.

The motion was unanimously approved. Ward 3 Alderman James Tatum was absent.

The first phase of the $1.2 million project, which included replacing the roof, gym floor while making other repairs, was completed earlier this year. Mayor James A. Young said the city will pay for the work with monies from a Community Development Block Grant.

Young said it is hoped the bids will be let and work will start early next year.

In another matter, on a 2-2 vote, aldermen failed to override the mayor’s veto of a $2-an-hour pay raise for the city building inspector that was passed in the previous meeting. Ward 1 Alderman Justin Clearman and Seales voted “yes,” while Fulton and Alderman-at-Large James Waltman voted “no.”

Mayor Young said a special work session has been set for Nov. 29 at 5 p.m. to discuss pay raises for city employees.

“We want to look at all employees moving forward to make sure we are as fair as we can be,” Young said.

In other matters, aldermen voted to:

• Approve a change order from Allen Engineering on the airport lighting project. The motion was unanimously approved;

• Approve  motion to pay Allen Engineering invoice for $1,830 on the airport lighting improvement project and an invoice for $878 on the airport apron pavement rehabilitation project. The motion was unanimously approved;     

• Approve a motion to pay Allen & Hoshall invoice for $13,000 on the Philadelphia Utilities sewage lagoon erosion repairs out of the DFA PU bank account.  The motion passed on a 3-1 vote with Clearman voting “no”;

• Approve a motion for Trustmark National Bank to finance the purchase a Puckett bulldozer for the Sanitation Department at the lowest rate of 4.59 percent. The price for the dozier was  $91,624.95;

• Approve a motion to table the pay increases for the Cemetery Department and Animal Control.  Both motions were unanimously approved; 

• Approve a motion to pay the DA’s Office $4,386 out of the seized money bank account as directed for cases by that office. The motion was approved  unanimously;

• Approve a motion to pay Axon Enterprise $27,514, Rougue $6,122, and Fitness Super Store $6,522 all out of the Seized Money bank account, for police body cameras and tasers. The motion was approved unanimously.

• Approve a motion to transfer Nicholas Walker from the Fire Department to the Police Department at a pay rate of $15.86 per hour;

• Approve a motion to hire Kierstin Burnside as Patrolman 1st Class with the Police Department at $15.86. The motion was approved unanimously;

• Approve a motion to promote Robert Baker to battalion chief in the Fire Department. The motion was approved unanimously;

• Approve a motion to promote Jonathan Moore to senior captain at $15.88. The motion was approved unanimously;

• Approve a motion to promote Johnathan Griffin to captain at $14.88. The motion was approved unanimously;

• Approve a motion to hire Erik McCurty with the Fire Department as a driver at $14.13. The motion was approved unanimously.

• Approve a motion to hire Algene McQuarters Jr. for the Fire Department as a firefighter at $13.38. The motion was approved unanimously;

• Approve a motion to approve the TIF Final Requisition Resolution for Doc’s Toyota. The motion was unanimously approved; and,

• Approve a motion to terminate a Street Department employee. The motion was approved unanimously.

The board went into exectuive session but no action was taken.