Bolivar council awards paving contract, approves lease addendum framework and passes three resolutions

The Bolivar City Council took multiple actions at its May meeting, awarding a paving contract, approving a lease addendum framework for the Optimist Field, adopting three resolutions tied to public-safety and facility financing, and approving a board appointment.

Bids for the street-department asphalt contract were opened and two offers were read: Fowler Paving at $1.42 per ton and Martin Paving at $1.37 per ton. The council approved the low bid from Martin Paving; on the record the motion was made and the mayor announced the motion carried.

Under new business the council discussed the ballpark lease with the Hardeman County School System for the Optimist/high-school field. The schools currently handle major repairs on school-owned portions of the property; the school system is proposing to upgrade the field lights, an expense estimated in discussion at roughly $50,000–$100,000. To protect school capital investments in case a future change of control ends the lease, the council agreed to include a stepped depreciation reimbursement clause as an addendum to the existing lease and directed the city attorney to draft amendment language tying reimbursement percentages to the expected useful life of the improvement.

The council also adopted Resolution 2026-005 to provide the local match for a CDBG grant to purchase a new fire pumper truck. Two connected resolutions—Resolution 2026-006 and Resolution 2026-007—authorizing general-obligation bonds not to exceed $4,000,000 for acquisition, site work, design, construction and related equipment for a community center (and tied to USDA approval for an armory remodel) were presented and approved on the council floor.

Finally, the council approved the reappointment of Mister Lyle to the BEA board. There were no further items and the council adjourned.

Votes reported on the record for motions in the meeting were summarized by the mayor as "motion carried" where a mover and seconder were recorded; the transcript does not list roll-call tallies for these items in the minutes read aloud at the meeting.