Cleaning up the old SOC station property on Winthrope Avenue may soon become a reality. The City of Millen recently received word that it has been awarded a $200,000 Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield Cleanup Grant to be used for that purpose. The city’s share of the cost, which may be labor, material and services, will be 20 percent or $40,000. The announcement was made during the June meeting of Millen City Council.

The city took ownership of the property from the estate of the previous owner in February 2009 and entered the property into the Georgia Brownfield program. The grant application was made in October 2009 with two site assessments and a master plan for renovation of the site having been completed.

City Manager Lamar Faircloth explained changes made to the city’s budget, stating that he had cut projected spending to a minimum, reducing the budget from $3,901,626 to $3,550,936. Council approved a motion to adopt the amended budget.

In other business, city council set the rental price for the Millen Community House at $85 for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. session; $85 for 5 p.m. to 12 p.m. session; and $150 for both sessions.

Needed repairs to the community house were also approved, up to $13,000, with funding to come from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) IV account.

Other actions taken by council included the following:

• Approved discontinuing the practice of delivering dirt to city property owners as it is not legal;

• Approved waiver of fees to producers selling items at the Cotton Market on Cotton Avenue from May 4 through Aug. 31;

• Tabled action on a request from a city resident to install 4- way stop signs on Herndon Street until such time as a petition could be presented;

• Approved contract for prison detail with the only change being a reduction in the number of inmates working and a clause added forbidding inmate contact or interaction with city employees or unauthorized civilians;

• Adopted Floor Ordinance as prepared; and

• Approved renewal of policy for property and liability insurance coverage with GIRMA as no other bids were submitted.