By Nathan Prewett, For The Tribune
MOODY — A regular meeting of the Moody City Council on Monday, Nov. 8 was followed by a work session where the council heard a proposal by Police Chief Thomas Hunt to replace the current department building with a new one.
During the regular meeting the council heard reports from department heads on numbers from the month of October, including Hunt and Fire Chief Larry Horton.
Hunt reported that the department answered 1,453 calls, made 35 arrests, wrote 52 warning tickets, wrote 202 citations, wrote 92 reports. There were 44 misdemeanor cases and 55 felonies. Moody officers drove city vehicles 16,524 miles, and $1,683.61 were spent on vehicle maintenance.
Horton reported 190 calls, two fires (one residential, one vehicle), 95 emergency medical calls, 18 wrecks, 31 lift assists, 25 false alarms and one mutual aid was given and received. Dispatch to enroute time was one minute and 25 seconds and dispatch to arrival was six minutes and 41 seconds.
Later the council approved a number of requests, including Ordinance M2021-11-08 that amended R-1 (single family), R-2 (single family), and AG-1 (agricultural) zoning regulations. A public hearing was held on this matter at an Oct. 11 meeting.
The amendment increases the minimum space of R-1 lots from 15,000 feet to 20,000 feet. Additionally it increases R-2 lots from 11,9000 to 1,500 feet. It also allows “barndominiums” to be built under the AG-1 code.
After the regular meeting was adjourned the council went into a work session and heard from Horton reporting that state bids for vehicles may go up in prices in the future and from Inspector David Crowe on state and local regulations on homeowners wiring their own houses.
The final item was the proposal from Hunt to replace the current police department building, which he said was built in the 1970s and is now seeing deterioration. He said that repairs to the building would be an estimated $175,000 to $200,000.
However, with the city growing they believe that they can build a new structure with upgrades.
“Chief Hunt and I have been talking about it for quite a few years now. It’s getting closer to the point where we’re going to have to look at replacing the Moody PD,” said Mayor Joe Lee. “And so I wanted to start the process, and starting the process was for the police officers to look around a little bit and bring back a presentation.”
Hunt presented pictures of the Homewood Police and noted the upgrades in a new building, including a gym, safe rooms for children, several training areas, a break room, an expanded evidence room and storage area and different offices, as well as a patrol meeting room and a sally port for vehicles.
He also mentioned having the city court there with training areas and meeting spaces for attorneys. He estimated that the cost of building would be in the $8 million to $10 million range.
In other business the council:
- Approved Horton’s request to purchase building supplies to close in the turnout cleaning room for $2,400,
- Approved Horton’s request to pay Jeremy Weems a final payout for paramedic school for $5,000,
- Approved a request from Hunt to pay the St. Clair County Commission for the transport of a deceased body for $550,
- Approved Hunt’s request to pay CMI Inc. for two portable breath intoxilyzers for $1,200,
- Approved Hunt’s request for approval of Sgt. Ron Richardson to attend a TAASRO conference in June 2022 in Orange Beach for $1,700,
- Approved a request from Public Works Department Director Steve Mitchell to purchase one load of cold patch asphalt to repair roads for $2,537.06,
- Approved a request from Mitchell to repair a tractor for $1,298.71,
- Approved a request from Councilwoman Linda Crowe for Rich Blankenship to take an online grant writing class for $199,
- Approved a request from Lee to authorize the transfer of personal property from the city, which is the sale of a 2000 Spartan GA40M 214,
- Approved a one-time payment lump sum to city employees where all full-time employees receive $300 after taxes, part-time employees receive $150 after taxes, and those who have not taken a sick day will receive $150 or $75 for one sick day,
- Approved paying $1,026.83 for landscaping plants for the police department, and
- Entered into an agreement with St. Clair County to make an ATRIP-II application for grants up to $2 million.
Meetings are held on the second and fourth Monday of every month at 6 p.m. at Moody City Hall on 670 Park Ave.
