VIDALIA&8212; Vidalia aldermen plan to annex 22 residential lots at their next meeting

The aldermen passed a motion, at Tuesday night&8217;s meeting, to pre-file an ordinance to adopt the lots into the city limits.

&8220;This is the first major residential development we&8217;ve had in a long time, and it&8217;s a great thing,&8221; Mayor Hyram Copeland said.

The lots are an extension of Alabama Street that circle around and come back to Elm Street, City Attorney Jack McLemore said.

Floodplain Administrator Brian Allred said the city has already started to install sewage lines, fire hydrants and asphalt roads in the new development.

&8220;From what I understand, the new lots are already selling like hotcakes,&8221; Copeland said.

In other business:

4The board also passed a resolution to allow the police department to apply for a $35,000 grant to help replace police cars and install new cameras and radar systems in the vehicles.

4 The board passed a resolution to keep the city&8217;s millage rate for 2005-2006 at 3.49 mills.

4 The board authorized the purchase of two pieces of equipment for the city&8217;s sanitation department.

4Copeland also brought up an issue concerning garage and yard sale signs.

&8220;It seems we are having trouble with people putting up signs in the city and not taking them down after a sale,&8221; Copeland said.

To fix this problem the board voted to make people who wish to advertise, using homemade signs, to fill out a free application, where they will agree to take the sign down three days after the event ended, Copeland said.

Copeland also said people would not be allowed to post signs on telephone poles or anywhere they could obstruct the view of traffic.