LOXLEY, Alabama — The town of Loxley is looking to make improvements to the town’s sewage treatment plant in anticipation of continued growth.

The Loxley Town Council voted at its meeting June 13 to approve preliminary and environmental improvements to the 12-year old plant in preparation for a USDA grant/loan program.

“This is something that we’ve been looking at over the last few years,” said Mayor Billy Middleton, adding that the town has issued 95 new building permits, just this year. “It’s something we can’t put off any longer.”

The grant amount will be determined by the preliminary findings, said Utilities Superintendent Richard Rider. Among the improvements include:

• Dredging of the equalization basins to allow for additional capacity.
• Expanding the wastewater plant to account for the additional capacity.
• Increasing the size of outfall lines to increases overflow capacity into nearby Fish River.
• Upgrading of electric motors and pumps to account for the additional capacity.

A USDA loan will then cover whatever amount is not covered by the grant. It could take a couple of years to complete the grant process, Middleton said.

“This is certainly not something that is going to happen overnight,” he said.

The measure passed unanimously with all council members present at the meeting.

In other business June 13, the council voted to renew its tax revenue enhancement agreement with RDS.

The town passed three separate agreements with RDS for business license administration; business license discovery/recovery and revenue administration.

Also on June 13, the council:

• Amended the town’s zoning ordinance, approving a request to rezone property on Neal Road from A-O (agriculture-open space) to M-1 (industrial zone).
• Approved a donation request from the Robertsdale High School band in the amount of $1,000.
• Approved an ordinance establishing the use of electronic vote counting devices for the upcoming election.
• Approved a quote to replace the carpet in front of town hall from Pfeffer Floors To Go of Bay Minette in the amount of $1,406.72.
• Voted to reject a bid to replace the roof at town hall in order to seek additional bids for the project.
• Approved the purchase of a used golf cart for the Municipal Park in the amount of $3,200.
• Took no action on the purchase of a welder for the town’s utilities department in order to seek additional quotes on the item.