By Crystal McGough
CLAY — The Clay City Council held its regular meeting virtually on Zoom Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, at 6 p.m. During the meeting, City Manager Ronnie Dixon updated the council on the final stages of the Cosby Lake dredging project.
“Today was their day of when they said they would complete,” Dixon said. “So now, the surveyor comes in – it’s kind of like a building inspector, even though they call it a surveyor – he comes in and makes sure that they have met all the terms of the contract, and if they did, then they’re finished. If they don’t, he tells them what they have to do to meet that.”
Dixon said that the city already knows the terms have not been met but will have to wait until they get the report from the surveyor, which will tell them what’s left to be done.
“Volkert, the engineering firm, they said they expected probably three more days’ work, so at the worst, they should finish by next Friday completely,” he said. “Finished, torn down and moved out.”
Dixon added that the city has given M&N Dredging Co two additional weeks to get the job done due to Hurricane Sally, as well as two days for the elections and all of Thanksgiving weekend.
“That pushed their time from Nov. 8 to Nov. 20, so they should have been finished on Nov. 20,” he said. “They were not because of some stop-work due to the turbidity and that kind of thing, so that’s why we’re at today’s date and they haven’t finished.
“We actually went into the penalty phase of the contract on Nov. 21, but we haven’t brought that to (the council’s) attention because we’ve been told they’re going to finish and Volkert’s been monitoring it. But now, we think that they’re so far late I needed to bring it to your attention and let you know where Volkert stands and what they’re doing on their monitoring and on their management of that contract.”
Dixon also gave the council an update on the St. James subdivision, which is being built behind Clayton Cove. He said that city has finalized the lot numbers and the number of houses that will be built in the subdivision with the Prominence Homes attorney.
“There will be 27 homes that are four-sided brick and 26 homes that are one-frontside brick,” Dixon said.
The 26 one-sided brick homes, which will be located in the back of the subdivision, have already been built, and the four-sided brick homes will be built in the front as Phase 2 of the project.
“They’re out there now,” he said. “They’re prepared to move on and finish those 27 four-sided brick houses. So that’s where we stand there.”
Under unanimous consent, the city council passed four resolutions designating meeting times for the 2021 year.
Resolution 2020-38 established that the city council meetings will continue to be on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, beginning at 6 p.m. Any conflicting dates have been adjusted accordingly.
Resolution 2020-39 established that the Planning & Zoning Commission will continue to meet on the third Thursday of each month.
Resolution 2020-40 designated that any Board of Zoning Adjustment meetings will take place on the second Monday of each month.
“They don’t have to meet … if there’s no agenda, and they haven’t met in 7 ½ years,” Dixon said of the BZA. “So, we set the time, the second Monday of each month, and then make the calendar accordingly, but they don’t meet unless they have an agenda or a case.”
Resolution 2020-41 established that the library board will meet quarterly. Their meetings will take place at 5 p.m. on the following Tuesdays, before the city council meetings: Jan. 19, 2021; April 20, 2021; July 20, 2021; Oct. 19, 2021.
Councilor Bo Johnson reminded the public that Covenant Church International and Refuge Church will be teaming up to host a drive-thru live nativity at Covenant Church International on Saturday, Dec. 19, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“It is a drive-thru nativity scene with six separate scenes,” Johnson said. “There will be direction on what to do once you pull into the parking lot. But again, it is a drive-thru, so people will not be parking and getting out. The people participating in the nativity will be masked up and observing every protocol possible since there’s been such an outbreak of Covid cases.”
Dixon said that the city and police department are working to address concerns about the traffic on Old Springville Road during the nativity.
“There’s a possibility that we will have to stage cars on Joni Circle and then let them drive across so that we don’t back up Old Springville Road,” he said. “If Joni Circle fills up, we will move up to the Church of Christ and stage it in that parking lot. … Be aware that if you come up on Covenant Church International, right there on Old Springville Road, there could be a delay, just depending on how many cars are there at any given time.”
The lobby at city hall will most likely remain closed through the end of the year due to Covid complications and concerns. Anyone needing building permits or building inspections can call the inspections department, and those who need to renew automobile tags can do so online or at the Center Point Courthouse.
The next Clay City Council meeting will be held virtually on Zoom on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, at 6 p.m.