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VIDALIA, La. — New roadway improvements were approved Tuesday evening during the regular Vidalia Board of Aldermen meeting.

“This is a pretty extensive roadway improvement” that is going to include Miller Street, Carolina Avenue, Lynn Street, Pear Street, Debra Lane, South Spruce Street, Georgia and Florida avenues and North Oak Street, Vidalia Mayor Buz Craft said.

The lowest bid on the project, which the aldermen approved, was from APAC-MS Inc. for $1,440,342.25.

Two other bids were from TL Construction of Alexandria for $1,582,187.75 and D&J Construction of West Monroe for $1,521,674.

Officials have also been entertaining the possibility of adding turnarounds at the end of Laurel and Walnut streets, Craft said.

“It’s not going to be like a cul-de-sac like you would turn all the way around in but an area where you’d pull in, back up and then come out,” he said, which would prevent people from having to back into someone’s private driveway to exit those streets.

“I think it’s going to work really well. They’ve got the design done and they’re going to try to get a change order put in to get that done,” he said.

In other matters, the aldermen approved once again employee retention payments — a bonus that has been given to town employees on an annual basis if they agree to stay employed with the town for another full year. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of the retention payment has increased using American Rescue Plan Act funds.

“It used to be $650 for regular (full-time) employees, but with the ARPA money we had and the work that they did for two to three years we approved them to get an increase in that retention payment which took full-time employees up to $1,050 and part-time to $325,” Craft said.

Craft said there was a question of whether the retention payment should revert back to $650 or remain the same.

“I’d like (Aldermen) to approve it as is and just leave it at that for another year while we still have ARPA money,” he said.

Town CPA Debra Moak said Tuesday that the town has $922,000 of unused ARPA funds that must be expended by the end of December or they will be returned to the federal government.

Town officials also agreed to pay a $1,000 donation to Wreaths Across America, a nationwide tradition that decorates the graves of deceased soldiers with fir wreaths every year. These funds support local ceremonies in the Vidalia City Cemetery, Greenlawn Memorial Park and the Natchez National Cemetery.

There are roughly 20 veterans buried in the Vidalia City Cemetery and a lot of veterans who are from Vidalia are buried in Natchez, officials said.

The Wreaths Across America fundraising effort used to be spearheaded by G. Mark LaFrancis, who died in June after a long cancer battle.

Kevin Friloux addressed the aldermen Tuesday, saying it is his wish to “carry the torch” for LaFrancis and continue the wreath-laying ceremony in Vidalia. Wreaths Across America Day takes place on Dec. 14.