From Terry Schrimscher, contributing writer
SPRINGVILLE —Infrastructure was the first order of business at the city council meeting Monday, April 16, in Springville. City attorney James Hill addressed the pre-meeting work session to discuss funding for upgrades to the four-way stop at the intersection of Alabama 174 and U.S. 11.
“There is money administered by the regional planning commission that is federal dollars,” Hill said. “Those monies would be available to us to commence all of the preliminary work necessary for the permanent improvements at the four-way stop.”
He stressed the need for permanent improvements to accommodate the growing needs of the city.
Hill expects the preliminary engineering costs to reach $770,000 with 80% of the money to come from federal funding through the highway authority. The first step, according to Hill, is for Mayor William Isley to send a letter to the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham requesting access to the funding for the preliminary engineering. The commission was created by the State of Alabama to serve Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby and Walker counties. The council agreed, during the regular session, to approve the letter.
Regular Session
Mayor Isley brought the regular session to order after the discussion. The council approved the minutes of the April 1 meeting, which also dealt largely with growth plans for the community.
New Business
The first new item on the agenda was the need for repairs to one of the city’s fire trucks. Chief Richard Harvey brought the request to the council, which approved the purchase of parts and labor for an amount up to $2,000.
The council approved the renewal of a contract with the St. Clair County Commission and the St. Clair County’s Sheriff’s Office for inmate incarceration. The contract is essentially the same as the current agreement and extends for a period of three years. The new contract includes the cost of housing inmates and adds the cost of providing medical care on site when needed. The medical service is currently provided but was not detailed in the previous contract.
Abraham Odrezin, a landscape architect with Lorberbaum McNair Odrezin, or LMO Partners, addressed the council regarding the master plan for the proposed Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve. The preserve, part of the Forever Wild project that has been ongoing in the city, is expected to include more than 400 acres of land near Homestead Hollow.
Odrezin discussed the possible use of the nature preserve for hiking trails, birding, fishing, school field trips, research and canoeing activities, among other uses, and cited possible funding sources that could become available once a plan is developed.
A $25,000 grant has already been obtained to design and construct a gated entrance to the property. Other funding sources are being pursued to develop the park, which is expected to generate revenue and tourism for the city, according to Isley.
“The budget of the city for the current year has not included services for this project,” said Isley. “So, anything we do now will be outside of our budget. Sometimes, engineering services are. We’ll need to meet as a group to decide what that projected budget is.”
The council agreed on the importance of proceeding with the development. A motion was made and passed to work with LMO Partners for the creation of a master plan for the design of the park with an item of expenditure up to $12,000, which is expected to be as much as 80 hours of work.
Mayor’s Report
Isley closed the meeting with his Mayor’s Report. He discussed the emergency siren system within the city. The county commission contacted Isley suggesting sirens are not reliable. The county no longer wants to maintain the use of sirens as a storm alert system. Chief Harvey said the city currently maintains two alert sirens within the city but agreed weather radios and smartphone apps are more reliable.
Easter
The Springville Chamber of Commerce, along with local churches, will be hosting a community Easter Egg Hunt at Big Springs Park on Saturday, April 20, beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at noon. Isley said the hunt will feature 10,000 eggs hidden in the park.
Next Meeting
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the council will be Thursday, May 9, at 6 p.m., with a work session preceding the meeting at 5:30 p.m.