By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal

Citizens of Mosses learned of a $350,000 grant to the town to connect 90 homes to a sewer system at Tuesday night’s regular Mosses Town Council meeting.

Mayor Walter Hill said that what “started out as probably a vision has grown from beyond a vision to the fruition, and that is that for many years this community has embraced the philosophy that there would come a day where our community would not have to depend on septic systems as an average or daily norm when it comes down to building a constructed home or mobile home on an expected site.”

He read a letter from Alabama Governor Robert J. Bentley announcing the awarding of a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to be administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) for $350,000 with no matching funds required.

“I commend you on your efforts to improve the quality of life for your community, and wish you ever success in implementing this program,” Bentley wrote.

Hill said, “The ultimate goal of this phased project is to place every household and business in Mosses that presently exists and the future growth of Mosses… on sewer.”

“Mosses was the only town/city in the entire state of Alabama to receive this grant for this type of project,” he said.

Hill said through a joint effort with the Mosses Water and Sewer Board, the town has been able to secure almost $3 million in grant funds for such things as larger water lines, additional fire hydrants, an additional water tower and an extension of the sewer lagoon.

Hill said there was a bigger picture to all this beyond eliminating dependency on septic systems to sewer but “also economic development at a time when people all over this country are looking for jobs.”

“We know that in order to bring businesses to the community, you have to have something to offer,” he said.

Hill also reported on the receipt of $500 from State Rep. David Colston (D) to help the town establish a public library.

Among actions taken by the council Tuesday night were: approval of corrected Oct. 11 minutes, the agenda, the disposition of a 1967 fire engine and an agreement with RDS to collect business licenses fees and taxes.

The council set a special called meeting for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15 for such matters as a review the 2012 proposed budget, the October revenues and expenditures report, as well as discuss the possible hiring of a police chief.

The council also heard from Lowndes County District Court Judge Adrian Johnson, Lowndes County Commission Chairman Charlie King Jr., Kelvin Lawrence of Lowndes Garbage LLC and Russell Moore of Constantine Engineering.