PELHAM – Pelham officials declared June 2018 to be Scleroderma Awareness Month in the city during a regularly scheduled council meeting on Monday, June 18.

Scleroderma is an incurable autoimmune disease that causes the chronic hardening and tightening of skin and corrective tissues. The proclamation stated that scleroderma can affect the function of the heart, lungs and kidneys. An estimated 300,000 Americans suffer from scleroderma and African American women are affected at a higher than average rate.

The proclamation urged residents to remain aware of the effects of scleroderma throughout the month and encouraged them to support organizations like the Scleroderma foundation.

City Council member Maurice Mercer said he has been personally impacted by scleroderma, and thanked the City Council and Pelham residents for their support of his family and the proclamation.

“The support from the city and the community has meant a lot to me after losing my mother to complications of Scleroderma,” Mercer said.

In other council news:

–City manager Gretchen DiFante said Interim City Engineer Chris Cousins has met with the Alabama Department Transportation, and median paving is scheduled to be complete by this week. ALDOT is expected to begin working on traffic light loops on June 24.

–The city passed an ordinance to declare the former Pelham Public Library building as no longer needed for municipal purposes and to allow the city to further consider selling it to the Pelham Board of Education.

–The city resolved to approve requests by Sprint and AT&T to modify two existing telecommunications facilities.

–The city accepted the lowest bid from J & P Construction, Inc. for Lift Station J Improvements.

–David Marsh was appointed to an expired term on the city’s Storm Water Regulations Board.

–City vehicles were declared as surplus property.