During the regular bi-monthly meeting of the Hartselle City Council June 9, the council voted to accept bids from Eddie Preuitt Ford of Hartselle for two new police cars.

The bid total was $54,968. However, this does not include the equipment, signage or lights that will need to be added to the vehicles. This purchase will help replace the aging fleet of vehicles the department is now using.

The council also accepted the FY2014 financial audit, which was completed by Tucker, Scott & Wates, LLC.

The audit showed the city of Hartselle to have combined ending fund balances of $7,683,428, which was an increase of $135,151 over the prior year. The audit also showed the city’s assets exceed liabilities by $1,721,405.

In other business, the council authorized Mayor Don Hall to sign a loan extension with Cadence Bank. This loan was for the recycling bins that were purchased several years ago. This will extend the last payment to be made in 2017.

The council discussed Ordinance 1266, which relates to ambulance service in the city. Hartselle will use the same ambulance service selected by Morgan County  E-911 to serve as a county-wide emergency responder.

The county-wide provider will have a business license for each municipality they will operate in, and this ordinance will make sure policies are uniform across the board

City Attorney Larry Madison will come up with a new ordinance and present this to the council at the next work session.

The council also authorized a budget transfer due to increased audit fees.

Discussion also followed about the sod that had been laid on the medians at the intersections of Highways 31 and 36. There was concern that the sod was already dying, and some council members asked how it was to be irrigated. They decided to use a portable fire hydrant at Walgreens in the same intersection to water the sod on a regular basis.