The Folsom Police Department is adding another vehicle to its six-car fleet.

Announced by Mayor Marshell Brumfield at the recent Board of Aldermen meeting, the police department was awarded a $20,000 grant for the purchase of another police cruiser.

Police Chief Beau Killingsworth said this new cruiser is part of an effort to gradually phase out the older vehicles, which date back to the 1990s. "The maintenance on the older vehicles is getting too expensive to keep up with," he said.

Currently, the fleet consists of 2008, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998 and 1994 models, with the 1994 model serving strictly as a backup vehicle when one of the other cruisers is temporarily out of commission.

The department consists of five uniformed officers and several unmarked cars, but Killingsworth said he is in the process of marking all the units while keeping just one unmarked.

He also said the new Ford Crown Victoria, scheduled to arrive in the latter part of the month, will likely be their last purchase for some time.

As for the later-modeled cars, "We might deadline one and sell it at an auction," Killingsworth said, adding they will also retain one as a spare.

Brumfield also announced the approval of an $80,000 grant that he said will go toward creating sidewalks along Austin and Canton streets, Railroad Avenue and Broadway Street which lie in the vicinity of Magnolia Park, the village's only park.

Brumfield said they have to wait for the village's engineer to evaluate the areas and provide them with an estimate of the total cost.

Another issue the board addressed at the meeting concerned Larry and Mary King's request to have a pond resting on their property at the extreme southern end of Railroad Avenue filled. The Kings say the pond is restricting access to portions of their lot and would like it drained and filled. Brumfield said before any action can be taken, the body of water must be inspected to determine whether it's classified as wetlands.

"Our engineer recommended a person to us that will do a preliminary wetlands determination," Brumfield said.

According to Kiley Bates with Spangler Engineering who referred the village to a wetlands consulting agency, the initial estimate will have the village paying a $600 consulting fee.