By Adam Smith

The North Jefferson News



The Fultondale City Council awarded a bid Monday that will bring lights to the city’s new baseball complex, located by the elementary school.

Louana Construction was awarded the job at a cost of $421,300. That cost covers lighting expenses at five different baseball parks at the complex, or a little less than $100,000 per field.

Mayor Jim Lowery said the price tag for the field’s lighting may seem high, but the expense is in the city’s budget.

“That’s the biggest expense in the facility and if you didn’t need lights, you could save a lot of money, but that’s just the way it is,” he said.

Lowery said some bids were twice the amount of Louana’s bid. He said the city will actually be under budget in terms of expenses on the project.

Louana is the same company that provided lighting to the city’s football complex and Lowery said he and the other council members were pleased with the work.

The lighting project for the fields is scheduled to be completed by March 1, just in time for the start of baseball season. Other work at the field site is still ongoing, including the building of press boxes.

An all-purpose field will also be built to be used for a playground facility and soccer and football practice.

Lowery said he’s also looking forward to his city’s joint effort with Gardendale to bring the Dizzy Dean 7-year-old World Series to northern Jefferson County in July.

“The project is on schedule,” he said. “We’re looking forward to the opening season.”

In other business, the council:

• approved an application and retail liquor license for Chili’s bar and grill, to be located at 203 Howell Street. The restaurant will open on Jan. 17.

• changed the date of the Dec. 24 council meeting to Dec. 17 at 11:30 a.m.

• approved the installation of a street light on Howell Avenue

The council will meet again on Dec. 10 at 6 p.m.