A bus purchased by the City of Vicksburg will be shared by the Vicksburg Convention Center and the city’s Senior Center, Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said Monday. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen Monday approved a $171,020 requisition to purchase the 39-passenger bus, which is being built by Alliance Bus Group of College Park, Ga., through state purchasing. The Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau contributed $50,000 to the purchase price. Officials said it would take six months to build the bus, which will be handicap accessible. Acquiring a bus to be used by the convention center as a shuttle service and the Vicksburg Senior Center for trips was among the items discussed when the board reviewed its budget. The city has a public transportation system, NRoute, which is funded in part by federal transportation grant funds. The grant regulations, however, prohibit NRoute from providing shuttle services from local hotels to the convention center or being chartered to take the seniors on trips. “This will give us an advantage in competing with other markets, because we will have a hotel shuttle service,” VCVB executive director Bill Seratt said. “It’s means we will now have a shuttle to bring people from the hotels to the convention center, and shuttle spouses for spouse-related events during conventions,” VCC executive director Annette Kirklin said. “It will be a selling point. It means we will be able to attract more conventions to the Vicksburg Convention Center.” She said shuttle service is a major issue when convention center officials meet with convention and meeting planners to attract events to Vicksburg. “They’ll tell us if we don’t have a shuttle, they’re not going to come. It’s a selling factor for Vicksburg. It’s going to be very, very exciting. My only complaint is that it’s going to take six months to build. “We have the state tourism convention coming to Vicksburg for the first time in September, so it will be interesting,” she said. “We will now have a way to go on group trips,” senior center director Jennifer Harper said. “We have been unable to do it in the past, because the city didn’t have a vehicle, and it costs a lot of money to rent or charter a vehicle. Now, we will be able to take trips and go places to enrich the seniors’ lives. As soon as we get it, I’m going to start planning trips.”

On the agenda Meeting Monday, the Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen:

• Presented certificates of recognition honoring 43 city employees who either serve or have served in the military. • Heard an update on events at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center. • Accepted a proposal from Ted Davis and Associates of Jackson to write a grant application for a Mississippi Development Authority Home Investment Partnership Grant. The grant provides money to renovate or rebuild homes for senior and low-income residents. • Approved a bid from Fashions Inc. of Jackson to provide uniforms for city service employees. Fashions Inc. was the lone bidder. The bid was by line item. • Authorized paying the following requisitions: $7,488 to Environmental Technical Sales Inc. of Baton Rouge for equipment to repair the bar screen at the waste water treatment plant; $25,428 to Howard Wilson Chrysler-Jeep of Jackson to buy two 1-ton Dodge crew cab pickups through state purchasing for the gas and water mains departments; $33,760 to Gray Daniels Ford of Brandon to buy a Ford F-550 pickup through state purchasing for the sewer department. • Approved the following employees for the city employee driving list: Marquis Parson, fire department; Robert James, sewer; and James Washington, right of way. • Approved paying Vicksburg-Warren 911 $38,656.38 for September and $38,184.48 for October for the city’s share of dispatcher salaries and benefits. • Approved the following requests from Vicksburg Main Street: $100 for promotional items for the Gifts Under the Downtown Christmas Tree Contest, $2,000 for promotional items for Old Fashioned Christmas Open House, and $2,000 to decorate trees in the downtown area for Christmas. • Authorized Mayor George Flaggs Jr. to sign the pre-application for Federal Aviation Administration funds totaling $1.4 million to continue removing obstructions at the north end of the Vicksburg Municipal Airport runway, install the precision approach path indicator system, reconstruct the airport fuel apron, and reconstruct the south parallel and connecting runways. • Authorized City Clerk Walter Osborne to advertise for bids for concrete and elevator and escalator maintenance. • Approved filing liens for cleaning the following properties: 105 Bluecreek Drive, B.P. Buford, $157.50; 1609 South St., Rhonda LaShondra Carter, $112.50; 2348 Grove St., Central Mississippi Development Corp., $126.25; 711 Dabney Ave., Connie Thomas Craft et al, $107.50; 165 Bluecreek Drive, Paul Gullette, $157.50; 1411 Harrison St., R. Leigh Atkinson, $101.25; lot on Lane St., L.D. Minor c/o Larry Minor, $101.25; 2513 Oak St., Ida Moore, $251.25; 1314 East Ave., Carrie Reynolds et al, $387.50. • Authorized Community Development Director Victor Gray-Lewis to cut and clear the following properties: 1905 Clay St., 1508 First East St., 1813 Court St., 1816 Court St., 1228 Grammar St., 754 Downhill Drive and 1400 South St. The board approved a 60-day extension for the owner of property at 916 Walnut St. to remove a dilapidated building. • Authorized Flaggs to sign a contract with Guaranteed Roofing Co. of Pearl to replace the roofs on the central fire station and the vehicle maintenance shop. • Authorized Flaggs to sign a contract with History Inc. to do a survey of 300 buildings in the Drummond Road area between Confederate Drive and Polk Street. The survey is part of a plan to nominate the area for designation as a National Register Historic District. The survey is funded by a $7,675 grant from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History with a $3,400 match from the city. • Approved the claims docket.