By Patrick Yost
Editor

    Despite a fear of declining revenues, the Bostwick City Council Monday voted to move forward with both a Fairplay and Malcom roads speed bump plan and the purchase of a leaf vacuum.
    Initial discussions, however, heard the council contemplating reducing the number of speed control devices in order to facilitate buying the $1,800 leaf vacuum.
    Part of the issue, said Bostwick Mayor John Bostwick, is that initial bids for the speed control devices, part of a budgeted and existing streetscape plan, did not cover striping or placing signs around the devices. With the added labor, the costs of placing the devices increased approximately $1,000 per device. Total cost for all three is now near $7,200.
    Bostwick said the city had located a demo  leaf blower that can be purchased for $1,800.
    In the end Bostwick assured council members that both projects could be completed. “We can afford to do the three speed bumps we budgeted for and buy a leaf vacuum without putting ourselves in a bad situation.
    The council also approved the payment of $7,000 to move the city’s old post office from it’s current location to an area behind the Masonic lodge. That money, Bostwick said, will come from a $15,000 fund created by proceeds from the annual Bostwick Cotton Gin Festival. According to Angie Howard, festival chairperson and Bostwick city council member, money from the festival funds is used towards the historic preservation of city–owned properties. The old post office is owned by Bostwick. He has donated it to the city.
    In other counciil business:
    The city council marked Saturday, January 31 as a day to dedicate a marker proclaiming the recently completed Fairplay Street sidewalk as the “Tommy Tyson Trail.” Following the dedication the city will host a community–wide open house at the Susie Agnes Hotel.

Printed in the January 8, 2008 edition.