ROBERTSDALE, Ala. -- The city of Robertsdale plans to borrow $1.5 million to help pay for a series of improvements.

Randy Rushton with the Frazer Lanier Company came before the council on Monday with the request. The council voted in March to refinance part of a general obligation warrant from 2006 to help offset the cost of the loan, but decided to hold off on refinancing because of a fluctuation in interest rates.

“We’re currently financing at about 5 ½ percent and needed interest rates to be down below 4 ½ percent in order to refinance,” said Mayor Charles Murphy.

The council voted unanimously on Monday to approve a resolution to finance $1.5 million at 5 percent.

“I am confident that we have everything in place to move forward with this,” Rushton said.

The loan would allow the city to finance four projects, three of which will be partially funded by ATRIP grants the city has received.

The largest and most recent project funded through the state’s latest round under the ATRIP program is a project to put a traffic light and make intersection improvements at Highway 59 and County Road 48.

City engineer Greg Smith said Monday the city is working with the Alabama Department of Transportation in hopes to have the project let by the Dec. 6 deadline with a goal of having the project completed by May of 2014. The $1.2 million matching funds project would cost the city approximately $600,000, Murphy said.

“ALDOT bid deadlines are at the end of every month, except December, which is at the beginning of the month,” he said, “so if we don’t make the December deadline, it could be nearly two months before the next deadline.”

If that happens, Smith said, the city could ask for an early turnaround on the project, which could shorten the time between letting the project and the beginning of construction.

At its Aug. 5 meeting, the city council voted unanimously to approve a resolution authorizing the use of services in aid of Wal-Mart Real Estate Business Trust.

According to city officials, preliminary approval was given by the Robertsdale Planning Commission earlier this year for 20 acres on the northwest corner of the intersection with plans to construct a 127,000-square-foot Walmart SuperCenter that should include about 130 employees with an approximate annual payroll of over $4 million. Walmart has yet to purchase the property.

Another project to fund an extension on Wilters Street should be let by February, Smith said, with a cost to the city of about $325,000. Both projects will connect Highway 59 to the Baldwin Beach Express.

The city also received a grant to construct a concrete bridge across College Street, which will cost the city approximately $125,000 Murphy said. The loan will also fund renovations to the city’s PZK Hall with an approximate cost to the city of $300,000, Murphy said.

In other business Monday, the council voted to approve a rezoning request from R-2, residential, to B-2, business.

The property houses a warehouse facility for Furniture City, which is owned by Council member Joe Kitchens.

“That property has been there for 40 years and we just realized it was not properly zoned,” Kitchens said.

If a major storm caused more than 50 percent damage to the structure, the business would not be able to recoup those losses if the property were not properly zoned, Murphy said.

The council voted unanimously to approve the measure. Kitchens abstained from voting on the matter.

The council also voted Monday to change its workshop meeting next month from Sept. 3 to Sept. 16