The Robertsdale City Council took all of 14 minutes to conduct town business Monday morning, Feb. 18, at the Robertsdale City Hall.

The council’s main order of business was to approve a resolution to allow Police Chief Brad Kendrick to apply for an ADECA matching funds grant for the police department.

Kendrick said the department had applied for the same grant last year, but was denied.

“We were told that all we had to do was to apply again, and we would be approved,” Kendrick said.

The grant would be used to pay for the upgrade of four camera systems already purchased, plus the purchase of two additional camera systems for the city’s patrol units.

Kendrick told council members that the department would have to specify what the grant would be for and the grant could only be used for the purchase of equipment for the department.

The measure was approved by a unanimous vote with Mayor Charles Murphy and all council members, Brent Kendrick, Joe Kitchens, Sue Cooper, Aubrey Grant and Paul Hollingsworth, in attendance at Monday’s meeting.

In other business, the council approved by unanimous vote invoice approval for the city’s Rock Creek Sewer Project grant.

The council approved invoices in the amount of $39,130.41 in order to be reimbursed by ADECA for project funds.

The council also approved utility accounts writeoffs in the amount of $29,017.46.

Murphy said the city would still continue to seek collection on the accounts. The city is also using a collection agency retained by the Alabama League of Municipalities to help collect on the accounts.

Last year the city approved $35,000 in write-offs, $30,000 in 2006 with $30,000 in write-offs budgeted for the 2007-08 fiscal year.

The council also approved advertisement of this year’s St. Jude Trail Ride to coincide with the Robertsdale Rotary Club’s Rodeo. This year the two events will be held on the same weekend.

The council also announced the city’s annual tree giveaway will be held Saturday at the Garrett Park Pavilion.

The event, which is part of the city’s annual Tree City qualification, will begin with a short program beginning at 9 a.m., then the city will give away approximately 1,200 trees, including live oaks, sweet bay magnolias, red buds, river burch, Southern Catalpa, Southern crabapples and slash pines.