BY CAROL MOSLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
BROOKER — The Brooker Town Council meeting for May had plenty of accomplishments to report.
The parking area in front of the town hall and community center has been paved, defining a parking area and filling low areas that have flooded in the past. The new playground equipment has all been installed and the area expanded. An old tree that posed a danger has been removed and will be replaced by crepe myrtles. The new website is up and running, which includes a section on paving projects so that town residents can be kept apprised of which streets are on the list.
The electric work for the new well installation will be done by Prestige Electric. All appraisals came in under $2,000, the dollar amount at which a bid process is required, so Prestige was chosen as the lowest offer. Aside from price, Mayor Gene Melvin praised their past performance and said they have a proven track record of reliability and quality work.
The contract for mowing will expire on July 31 and will be open for bidding. An ad will be run to announce the bid opening. The council expressed that the contract is limited to businesses with insurance and in compliance with any legal employment requirements.
Looking to the future, Melvin said there will be an option to apply for a Community Development Block Grant in the fall. He indicated that a $700,000 grant could rehabilitate 10 houses. The grant would not upgrade mobile homes but would replace a substandard mobile home with a new home or the grant would upgrade an existing home structure. The council agreed they should pursue the CDBG grant.
