By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Pelham will work to repave several heavily worn streets throughout the city, will fund four new police officers and will make renovations to the entrance to City Hall after the City Council passed the 2014 fiscal year budget during a Nov. 4 meeting.

During the meeting, the council voted unanimously to approve the budget, which includes about $50.7 million in expenses and about $52.8 million in revenues.

The budget included about $5.8 million in capital improvement projects ranging from new fire trucks to electronic signs for the Pelham Police Department.

“We are to a point now where it’s not only a balanced budget, but we are spending a significant amount of money on some critical needs,” City Council President Rick Hayes said.

“I think the budgeting process was difficult because of multiple years of no expenses on maintenance and capital improvements,” Councilman Ron Scott said. “If ever there was a year to fix the roof and take a little out of savings, I think this was the year.”

The budget included about $15,000 to fund renovations to City Hall “to enhance security, but also maintain a welcoming environment,” and to install a video security system in the building.

The budget also included about $40,000 for new books and materials at the library, $754,852 for a new fire truck and about $230,000 to expand and add more bleachers to the Pelham Civic Complex’s practice arena.

The city’s largest capital project was an about $1.6 million project to upgrade the Pelham wastewater treatment plant.

Also included in the budget was funding to repave 19 roads throughout the city and to add a right-hand turn lane from Lee Street onto Shelby County 52.

The roads to be repaved are:

-Royal Way

-Royal Circle

-Martha Circle

-Royal Court

-Chandamont Circle

-Yeager Parkway

-Commerce Drive

-Weatherly Way

-Pemberton Place

-King’s Crest Lane

-McCain Parkway

-Pardue Road

-Monroe Drive

-Industrial Park Drive

-Parker Drive

-Thames Court

-Stuart Lane

-Stonehaven Trail from Stonehaven Drive to Walker Way

-Weatherly Club Drive from Oxford Way to Cove Lane