Contrary to published reports, East Brewton Mayor Terry Clark said money has been allocated to construct sidewalks from W.S. Neal middle and elementary schools to the apartments on Williamson Street.
On Feb. 11, 2016, 12-year old Devon Spencer was struck by a vehicle as he was walking to school and later died from those injuries.
Mayor Clark said the city of East Brewton applied for a grant through the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (ATRIP) on Nov. 26, 2016 to have the sidewalk constructed.
Clark noted the city was awarded a $264,500 grant through ATRIP on May 5, 2017, and the city has set aside the $20,000 in matching funds for the $284,500 project.
“There are so many kids walking to school in the streets we moved forward with the grant,” Mayor Clark said. “I thought we would be through by now, but we are waiting on ATRIP to release the funds. The money has been raised, we've just not received it yet.”
He said once the ATRIP money arrives in East Brewton, construction will begin immediately.
New firetruck
Mayor Clark also announced that the city of East Brewton has received a $47,000 grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Rural Housing Service's Community Facility Grant Program to go toward the purchase of a new firetruck.
The East Brewton City Council held a special meeting Monday afternoon to accept the grant proposal.
Mayor Clark told the council the cost of the truck is $267,000 which will leave the town owing $220,000. Mayor Clark said the town will finance the $220,000 over 20 years at an annual cost of $16,000 per year or a little more than $1,300 per month.
Clark said now that the council has approved the grant and the financing, the new firetruck will be ordered. He said it will take about a year for the new truck to be built and once it's delivered to East Brewton, one of the older trucks will be sold and the proceeds will go to the city's General Fund.
