The city’s engineer is forecasting an early completion for the water and sewer expansion in Brookhaven.

Aldermen Tuesday approved a pay request of $797,839 to Greenbriar Digging Services for the work it’s doing in several annexed areas of the city.

The general contractor was the lowest bidder for the water and sewer expansion at $6.390 million. The treatment plant renovations are another $1.1 million, and the rest is engineering and other associated costs, said Mike McKenzie, a principal with the engineering and surveying company WGK.

“Greenbriar is just blowing through it,” he told aldermen. “They’ve done roughly 60 percent of the work in 30 percent of the time.  They’re not holding back. If they keep on, they’ll be through before the calendar year is out.”

In February, aldermen voted to finalize two 20-year loans — which total $8.5 million — to begin the Annexation Improvements Project.

The loans, through the State Revolving Fund, are from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality for sewer service and the state Department of Health for water.

Plans include either water or sewer — or both:

• Into Deer Run

• Into Moreton Estates,

• Along Natchez Drive from Zetus Road to Hwy 84

• Into Lakewood Village

• Along East Monticello to Crooked Lane, up Crooked Lane to Old Highway 51, along Ozark Lane to Williams Street, and along Williams Street between Ozark Lane and Crooked Lane

•  Along Sawmill Lane between Old Highway 51 and Industrial Park Road

• Along Hwy. 51 North from Industrial Park Road to New Sight Drive

• Along Hwy. 51 North from Heritage Family Church to New Sight Drive and into Pandora Subdivision

• Into Weed Lane and a portion of Country Club Drive and a portion of North Jackson Street

• Along Union Street Extension, from Industrial Park Road to I-55

Money from the loans will also be used for a $1.1 million renovation at the water treatment plant as well as engineering and other associated costs.

Rezoning request

Building inspector David Fearn asked aldermen to approve a recommendation by the Brookhaven Planning Commission to allow property at Old Hwy. 51 and Industrial Park NE to be rezoned to L-1, light industrial, to allow potential property owners to locate a business there.

Arrow Disposal Services Inc., which will take over Oct. 1 as the trash collection service for both the city and Lincoln County, plans to buy the property for its offices and trucks, Fearn said.

The planning commission met Aug. 30.

The property, owned by John Phillips, is located at 1220 Old Highway 51, behind the Airport Pik & Pak.

“I had no comment from anybody except for the Airport Pik & Pak guy who said he liked it, he liked the idea. More business,” Fearn said.

Bridge update

Forrest Dungan with Dungan Engineering expects the Williams Street Bridge to be open to traffic next week. It will take another week or two to repave the street, he said.

Oddee Smith & Sons Construction is the contractor there.

The Meadowbrook Street Bridge should be open in a few weeks. The contractor is Greenbriar.

“They’ve come in and poured the structural headwalls and all they lack is to replace the bridge deck on it so we’re looking at a couple of weeks out on that as well,” he said.

Other business

In other business Tuesday night, aldermen approved:

• Lt. Dustin Porter to attend a free trench rescue class at the State Fire Academy Sept. 10. Meal reimbursement is $60. Transportation is provided.

• Payment of $2,000 to Dry-Time LLC for damage that occurred at the businesses located at 217 N. Whitworth Ave. and 221 N. Whitworth Ave. due to sewage line failure.

• For the city to join the Mississippi Public Employees Credit Union to allow for payroll deductions and direct deposits with no associated fees for the city. Participation is voluntary.

• Pay requests to Greenbriar for $38,950 the Meadowbrook Bridge.

• Pay requests to Suncoast Infrastructure for $68,696 for work completed on West Meadowbrook sewer rehab.

• Pay requests to Oddee Smith  & Sons Construction for $57,202 for Williams Street Bridge repair.

• To continue the annual contract for agent Lisa Smith with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics at a salary of $45,000.

• To hire Jason Britt as a firefighter with the Brookhaven Fire Department at an annual salary of $27,534.

• To terminate the employment of Anthony Cline in the water department following an executive session.