MURFREESBORO – During their meeting here Tuesday, the Murfreesboro Town Council discussed the progress on the town’s wastewater treatment plant and the sewer moratorium.

“The irrigation system is designed,” town engineer Robert Graham said. “The mayor signed the permit applications for the new facility awhile ago.”

There are several fees the town must pay before the treatment plant is constructed Graham said and the council approved a motion to provide him with the necessary funds to pay these fees.

“What date can the spray field be opened,” Mayor Ben McLean asked.

Graham was unable to provide a specific date when the new spray fields would be opened, but assured the council the project was moving ahead according to schedule.

“They should be able to work during the winter on the construction of the new facility,” Graham added.

In other business, town administrator Molly Eubank updated the council on the new lights for Main Street.

The town received approval on November 8 to solicit bids to install the new street lights, but the town must submit a bid package to the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration before the town can execute a contract Eubank said.

“This process takes 90 days,” Eubank added.

Council member Wayne Brown expressed his frustration with DOT.

“Why didn’t they tell us upfront about all of these things we would have to do once we received the grant,” Brown asked.

Also on Tuesday’s agenda, the council approved a motion to accept a 4.09% loan from Southern Bank to purchase two 2006 Ford Crown Victoria automobiles from Bobby Jones Ford, Inc. in Augusta, Ga. for the Murfreesboro Police Department.

According to Eubank, the town is prepared to put $15,000 down toward the purchase price of $41,109 for the vehicles and the loan will cover the remaining $26,109.

The council also approved a motion to provide all town employees with their annual Christmas bonus, but the council agreed not to take a bonus for themselves.