The Bainbridge City Council voted Tuesday to allow a vacant downtown building to be used for an outreach ministry.

The council voted 5-1, with Councilwoman Roslyn Palmer voting no, to approve a conditional use request from Winston Rollins, who owns property at 340 N. Broad St.

City Planner Dustin Dowdy had recommended denial of the request because Rollins’ church/ministry was “not in harmony with the original intent of the store front buildings in the Central Business District.”

Councilwoman Palmer expressed concern that approving the request might lead to more churches in the CBD, instead of businesses.

Other business

In other business, the council approved a resolution recognizing National Hospice Month and encouraged citizens to trick-or-treat on Saturday, Oct. 30. The city will hold its “Pumpkins in the Park” mini-festival in Willis Park from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Bids and Bills

Bills: $27,121.75 from Decatur County Commissioners for inmate and landfill charges for September 2010; $15,000 from East Coast Pyrotechnics of Catawba, S.C., for 2011 July 4th fireworks.

Bids: $20,125.70 from J.E. Sharber Oil Company of Bainbridge for oil and transmission fluid; $6,249.85 from Crawford and Sons Oil Company of Quincy, Fla., for oil and transmission fluid; $45,110.35 from Plantation Petroleum of Thomasville, Ga., for oil and transmission fluid; $6,500 from NTS of Thomasville, Ga., for one-year equipment coverage associated with fiber optics network; $14,017.75 from BadgerMeter of Milwaukee, Wis., for New Orion integral gas transmitters retro fit; $3,782 from Universal Concepts of Cumming, Ga., for 18 four-foot wreaths with bows for downtown Christmas decorations; and $4,200 from Downtown Graphics Network of Salisbury, N.C., for Christmas banners, Main Street banners and hardware sets associated with Christmas decorations.