manufacturing facility

By BETH LAKEY

Staff Writer

BRUNDIDGE ­ Some 300 acres in the Brundidge city limits has been rezoned for the purpose of building a manufacturing facility.

Tuesday afternoon, the Brundidge City Council rezoned the property on Pike County Road 6, across from the Brundidge Country Club, for what is supposed to be the future home of a large distribution/ warehouse facility. The land was zoned for residential purposes.

Mayor Jimmy Ramage said the company has asked that the company’s name not be publicized and would only confirm the site was being looked at for construction of a warehouse facility.

During a speech before the Troy Rotary Club last month, State Sen. Wendell Mitchell, D-Luverne, said Pike County was being considered over other areas, including Florida.

In other business, the council:

· Authorized the mayor to execute documents for application of $1 million Community Development Block Grant funding. The city would be responsible for a $200,000 match.

Ramage said the application will be made for a "potential industry in our community."

· Garnered more information about proposed housing in Brundidge for the mentally ill, mentally retarded and those in drug rehabilitation.

Don Schofield, executive director of East Central Mental Health-Mental Retardation, said the housing, which has not yet been funded, has the backing of the Alabama Department of Mental Health-Mental Retardation, the governor and the Alabama Finance Authority.

Plans are to construct 14 apartments at one site and 10 at another location, both in Brundidge.

"None of you have any idea how many people we serve who live in Brundidge," Schofield told the council.

He said there are 321 individuals with Brundidge addresses who receive services through ECMH-MR, many of whom are living in substandard housing and would be able to improve their lives by living in the proposed housing that would be Section 8.

Schofield assured council members the residents would have a nice place to live with access to any services from ECMH-MR.

"If East Central has anything to do with it, it’s going to be taken care of…we will serve those clients," Schofield said. "I’m not going to be associated with something that’s not first class."

ECMH-MR will not manage the apartment buildings, but will provide services to the residents. Anyone who is not compliant with ECMH-MR staff, will be told to move, he said.

· Wanted to inform the public Salem Baptist Church chimes will sound at noon each day as a reminder of those who lost their lives in the terrorist attack last week.

· Councilwoman Isabell Boyd thanked employees for making this past fiscal year "a good year" for the city.

· Boyd announced intentions to have a cleanup in District 5 during the first week of October.

· Acknowledged receipt of $6,500 from the Southeast Alabama Gas District. That money represents Brundidge’s share of funds for the 2000-01 fiscal year from Economic Development Enhancement Program. The money will be used for economic development efforts.

· Acknowledged the absence of Councilwoman Cynthia Pearson, whose daughter is in a Birmingham hospital.