By Lee Weyhrich
The Pinson City Council last week accepted a bid for roof replacement at Palmerdale Homesteads Community Center.
The city council accepted a bid from Weather Guard Metal Roofing in the amount of $47,267.
The roof has been leaking for some time, leading to jokes about a roof-leak bucket brigade and using garbage cans to catch the leaking water. Dorlin Terry, the center’s property manager, said it would be good to use the garbage cans for their intended purpose.
Weather Guard Metal Roofing had originally won the bid for $49,867 to replace the roof in March, but could not make the contracting agreement, it was announced in May. Three other bidders for the project could not make the warranty requirement set by the city council, it was said in May.
The city has been systematically restoring the building to as close to original as possible, and the roof will look historically accurate once completed.
The city council last week also voted to contract Asplundh to mow areas that Jefferson County can no longer mow for the foreseeable future due to financial constraints. The cost of manpower and equipment will be $100 per hour and the total cost of services is an estimated $4,000. Some roads have become so overgrown that there is now a safety issue due to visibility.
Weeds have also overtaken a property at Kaley Lane, but a dangerous structure has become a priority. A partially burned home on the property has become “filthy and unsanitary, constituting a breeding ground for rodents, rats, mosquitoes and other vermin,” according to the resolution. The council was able to secure a court order to be allowed to demolish the structure.
Eastern Tree Service won the demolition bid with an estimate of $3,000. The burned-out structure, however, is not the only danger at the property. There is an abandoned garage as well as a serious weed problem. Mayor Hoyt Sanders hopes to get the court order extended to be able to deal with these issues.
The council also voted to pave the first sector of Lea Anne Gardens. Many areas of the residential neighborhood are patched with chert, Sanders said. Campbell’s Asphalt and Paving has been awarded the contract for road work in the amount of $12,250. The asphalt will be purchased from Dunn Construction, current holder of the Purchasing Association of Central Alabama’s asphalt bid, at a cost of $20,000. PACA is a purchasing cooperative for municipalities in central Alabama, allowing them to purchase materials at a discount. The county does hold a bond on the property, which will help cover costs after the work is completed.