Alabaster officials added another neighborhood to the city’s list of subdivisions with unsatisfactory roads during an Aug. 19 City Council meeting.

During the meeting, the council authorized Mayor David Frings to seek legal action against Kenneth Carter, owner of the Mountain Lake subdivision off Alabama 119, and his company, Kencar Development Inc.

By passing the show cause on the Mountain Lake subdivision, the city is looking to force Carter to pay the $29,250 bond he put up when beginning work on the neighborhood in 2002.

Carter also owns other developments the city has declared unsatisfactory, including Fox Valley Farms.

Although Alabaster officials are attempting to secure the $29,250 bond, it will probably cost the city about $46,450 to repair the potholes, damaged curbs and other problems with the subdivision’s roads, said Alabaster Building Official Steve Sims.

“There are many small repairs and six large spots in the roadway,” Sims said as he showed the council a slideshow of the damaged roads.

City Attorney Jeff Brumlow said the neighborhood was originally designed to encompass 41 lots, but only 18 have been completed.

“This is one of the subdivisions that has had its share of problems, and is incomplete,” Brumlow said.

Because a gravel road owned by Carter “or one of his relatives” connects to one of Mountain Lake’s roads, Frings asked Brumlow to determine if any section of the gravel road is on neighborhood property.

“That road dumps silt and gravel onto the paved road. It will be an ongoing maintenance concern if that continues,” Frings said. “I was actually surprised when I drove back there and saw that road several months ago.”

If the city is able to obtain the bond money from Carter, it will use the money to help repair the roads. Once the subdivision roads are brought up to city standards, Alabaster crews will begin maintaining them.

In other business, the council:

– Named US Tech the city’s new information technology service provider. As a result of the new contract, city residents and business owners will soon be able to pay for most city services and taxes online.

“This is going to make the city much more efficient,” said Ward 1 Councilwoman Sophie Martin. “You will be able to make a payment online instead of having to go home, write a check and drive it to the city building.

“That will be a lot better for our residents, and for the city,” she added.

– Accepted a $164,352 bid from Wiregrass Paving to repave parts of Tanglewood Drive and Independence Drive.

– Accepted a $21,710 bid from Motorola to purchase five mobile workstations and mounts for the Alabaster Police Department.