The city of Adairville had the first reading of its new budget at Monday’s city council meeting.

Mayor Jim Wilkerson read the budget letter and told the council and visitors that the 2009-10 budget was balanced.

When Wilkerson asked if there were any questions, council member Tony Nichols said he wanted to know how the allocated road money would be spent.

“Do you have a plan as to what streets you want to fix?” Nichols said.

Wilkerson said he didn’t have a specific plan laid out for which city roads should be improved, but he did say that Stratton, Vine and Sampson streets are in need of repair and will likely be worked on.

“These are locations that will consume some of this money,” Wilkerson said.

Wilkerson added that it was the job of the city council to get out in the community and bring back suggestions for which streets should have money spent on them. He said, ultimately, it is the council which votes on and decides which streets to repair with the funds.

In other action:

• The city council voted 4-1 on a new ordinance which will charge a $100 fee for matters that require going before the zoning board of adjustments.

When the matter was first talked about two months ago, Wilkerson said the city must pay for a registered mail and also incurred other expenses whenever someone applied to go before the board of adjustments. He also said that most other cities in the area have similar fees for the same service.

Nichols was the lone no vote against the fee. Council member Judy Tanner was absent from Monday’s meeting.

• The city council voted 5-0 on a resolution backing a grant assistant city clerk Sharon Head is writing to get funds for 10 sets of turnout gear and 10 radios and pagers for the Adairville Fire Department.

• Also, the council voted 5-0 to send a $500 donation to BRADD for Community Aging Services, which helps fund the senior citizens center in Adairville.

• With the Strawberry Festival upcoming, the city council

• During the approval of the minutes, Nichols said he wanted to state one more time – for the record – why he voted against the Gunderson Brothers Construction getting the contract to build Adairville’s new maintenance building.

At a special called meeting last month, the city council voted 4-1 to award the contract to the Gundersons, who had turned in the lowest bid.

Nichols was the lone “no” vote and Tracy Gunderson did not even attend the meeting, because his company was one of the ones being considered for the project.

“The reason I voted no didn’t have anything to do with who was getting the bid, there were just two stipulations I didn’t think were addressed in the contract,” Nichols said.

Nichols said he had reservations because the contract stated the building had to be finished in 60 days, but did not have any provision for what should happen if it takes longer. Also, Nichols thought and change orders should be approved by a vote of the city council.