By BECKY CRISSMAN

becky.crissman@cordeledispatch.com

VIENNA — Mayor and Council members here met Monday night to discuss the business of the city. Mayor Hobby Stripling Sr. called the meeting to order and welcomed guest pastor Williams Ford who provided an invocation for the meeting.

Council members made one amendment to the agenda before its approval and that was the addition on an executive session for discussing personnel matters that cannot be discussed in open session.

The council then approved the minutes from their previous meeting held on May 9.

Next on the agenda was the approval of a bid award to Layne Inliner, LLC. for CDBG 2015. According to the report bids were opened on April 26 at 2 p.m. for completion of Community Development Block Grant project for 2015. The project includes relining some of the city’s problem gravity sewer piping to prevent groundwater from entering through the cracks and adding to the cost of treating and disposing of sewage. This includes raiding some of the manholes so they don’t get flooded when there is high rainfall.

All bids, paper work, bonding company, Government’s excluding Parties List, and references were checked by the engineering firm and their recommendation was to award the bid to the Layne Inliner LLC of Tucker, Georgia at a price of $399,124.

Councilman Walter Brown made the motion to accept the recommendation which was seconded by Councilman Randall Almond. The board approved the motion unanimously.

A representative with Sunbelt Power Solutions gave a presentation to the mayor and council regarding the benefits of bringing solar power to the city. Following the presentation, Mayor Stripling said he would like to get City Attorney Verlin Jones to look at the contract information and the council to look at the matter in greater depth.

City Administrator Michael Bowens reminded council members that the Badges for Life Blood Drive would be held on June 3 and would be in memory of former Sheriff Van Peavy.

Voting is underway for the USA Today Best BBQ Contest and the Big Pig Jig is one of the contenders. Bowens asked that council and citizens remember to go online and vote. (A detailed story on this is on page 8A)