VIDALIA &8212; Vidalia&8217;s plans to install fiber optics citywide encountered a detour Tuesday night.

The first step in the process was to conduct a feasibility study, but that requires money. Applying for the needed grant to get the funding requires a public hearing. Turn left to detour.

Vice President for Advanced Micro Technologies Brent Atkinson &8212; the man asked to do the study &8212; suggested the board pass a resolution to apply for a grant to conduct the study.

But City Manager Kenneth Davis and City Attorney Jack McLemore said the board could not pass a motion until there was a public hearing, under the Local Government Fair Competition Fairness Act, where citizens could review the contract AMT had laid out.

The board had just received copies of the contract that evening and did not have a chance to review it so Mayor Hyram Copeland decided to hold a public hearing at the board&8217;s November meeting.

In August Copeland, McLemore, Concordia Parish Economic Development Director Teresa Dennis and Aldermen Ricky Knapp and Triand McCoy observed a newly implemented fiber optics system in Jackson Tenn.

The fiber optics package included cable, high speed Internet and phone services.

Copeland, Dennis and the aldermen came back with a plan to install fiber optics in Vidalia.

If a fiber optics system were adopted in Vidalia, it would replace the communications lines, made of copper, with glass fibers, which operate faster and are able to transmit more data, Atkinson said.

One of the grants Atkinson suggested the board consider was a homeland security grant.

&8220;This grant would allow for us to install fiber optics not only in Vidalia but to other cities as far away as Pineville,&8221; Atkinson said.

The emergence of fiber optics for Vidalia would change two major things for the 2,200 households, Copeland said. Meter readers &8212; workers visually inspecting individual meters &8212; would no longer be used in the area and all readings would be directed to city hall. Internet monitoring of new services would also be available, Copeland said.

In other business discussed:

4The board opened two bids for a bulk disposal truck for the city.

On truck bid was $97,450 for a 2006 model and the other was $90, 200 for a 2007 model.

The board did not make a decision on which truck to purchase.

4Copeland and the board declared the week of Oct. 8-12 DECA week.

Copeland said the Association of Marketing Students of Vidalia High School would work for local businesses for the week.

4The board approved a resolution declaring the October Breast Cancer Awareness month.

4The board held a public hearing and adopted the new ordinance requiring any new business owner wanting to build on Carter Street to have a brick or stucco front.

Colors of the buildings would have to be approved by the city&8217;s building inspector, Copeland said.

4The board approved the hiring of two new firemen, Charley Cannon and Eric Guillot, to serve on Vidalia&8217;s fire department in 2007.

4The board granted an occupational license to Mark Taunton to open the Best Ice store at 4291 U.S. 84.

4The board granted a liquor and beer permit to Murphy Oil USA Inc., in front of the new Wal-Mart, at 4007 Carter St.