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With the goal of providing additional space and added safety, Andalusia’s Municipal Court will be moving into a new location in the near future.

During a meeting of the city council meeting Tuesday, members of the council approved for the court to be moved from its current location at 102 Opp Ave. to  a new location a short distance away on Coffee Street.

The council approved to purchase the building at a cost of $300,000 with an additional $80,000 to be used for the needed renovations. The funds will be paid from the city’s Judicial and Corrections budget.

Municipal Court Judge Williams Alverson addressed the council regarding the safety issues at the current municipal court.

“There is a bit of a safety concern where we are right now, not just me, but also those who work within the court. We’re exposed with our backs to thin doors that anyone could walk into the building and easily open those doors,” Alverson said. “I’ve visited the proposed building and we have a plan to set up a safer environment for everybody, including those attending court.”

The new location will also provide other benefits. Currently, if a staff member needs something during court, they would have to exit the building to go to their leading to delays. The new location will provide direct access from the courtroom to the employees’ offices.

In addition, there would be space for those attending court to meet privately with lawyers.

Once the municipal court vacates its current facility, Police Chief Paul Hudson said it will be used as a dispatch center to include the monitoring of the city’s camera networks as well as providing additional space for evidence storage.

The police department will have access to more camera feeds after the council approved to pay $30,000 for 10 traffic cameras through Flock Security.

Following a presentation involving a Flock Security official at a previous meeting, the council approved the installation of the cameras along major roads coming in and out of the city. The Flock system is used by law enforcement agencies across the state, including the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. It allows for tags to be read as passing the cameras and notify law enforcement of a specific vehicle’s location and direction of travel.

Other items addressed by the council included:

• accepting a state grant for a sidewalk project along 3rd Avenue, from Three Notch Street to Andalusia High School.

The project’s estimated cost is $1.4 million with 80 percent of that being paid through a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant. The city’s portion of the expense is $300,000.

The project includes resurfacing 3rd Avenue, moving utilities underground, and widening the sidewalk.

• declaring APD hand-held radios surplus. Chief Hudson said the radios are no longer being used and that he has a buyer for them at $200 each.

• applying for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for an infrastructure project that will provide water and sewer to the future Conecuh Sausage plant. Mayor Pro Tem Terry Powell said the project will also provide utilities to future projects within that area of the city’s industrial park.

The cost of the projec is $480,000 with the city paying its match portion of $80,000. While the city had to apply and approve the grant, the Andalusia Utilities Board will reimburse the city for the expense.

• approving two items related to the construction of Heritage Park.

The council approved the low bid of $265,000 submitted by J&B Services of Daleville to begin construction of an amphitheater at the park.

Approving for final grade work — including the preliminary cutting of the sidewalks and the biking and walking trails — to begin. The work will be performed by Edwin McIntyre Company based on contract rates previously approved by the council.

Also at the meeting, Powell reported that Mayor Earl Johnson, who was absent from meetings the past two to three months for health reasons, is recovering and expects to return for the next council meeting, which is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 7, at city hall with a work session at 5:30 p.m. and the regular meeting at 6 p.m.