By Crystal McGough, For The Tribune
PINSON — The Pinson City Council had a first reading on Thursday, February 24, of a proposal to provide a feasibility study for the potential creation of a Pinson Public School System.
“It’s important to understand that just because we do the feasibility study – that helps us know what we don’t know – it doesn’t necessarily mean that we are going to take over our schools,” Mayor Joe Cochran said during the pre-council meeting. “It just gives you the information in case you want to do it. It gives you a map and a plan. “
The feasibility study will cost $8,500. Several residents in attendance spoke to the council in favor of the feasibility study and expressed concerns with the current condition of the schools, including mold, sewers backing up into the schools, electrical issues, air conditioning issues, and more.
“Whatever the city decides to do, $8,500 is not a lot of money to acquire as much information as you can,” Pinson resident Traci Thompson said. “Whether you decide to break away from the Board of Education or you decide to stay, you can take that information and use it. … Now is the time. We’re tired. We’re tired as parents; we’re tired as a community.”
Cochran said that he met with Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Dr. Walter Gonsoulin on Wednesday to discuss several items, including this proposal.
“I want to be completely open and candid with the Board of Education as to anything we are thinking about or looking at doing,” Cochran said. “… The conversations that I had with Dr. G. yesterday were good conversations. He was very frank with me. I was very frank with him about the position of where I think the council is with all of this and what our concerns are in our buildings. … I’m in the business of making our city the best it can be, and our schools are part of that. I hope that all the citizens in this room tonight, as well as the audience watching at home, knows that this entire council cares about our kids. We realize that our school is made up of children that come within our city limits and outside of our city limits, and probably more kids come from outside of our city limits than do from inside our city limits. I really don’t care about that; they’re all our kids whether they live in the city of Pinson or not. They go to our schools, they’re our kids.”
Cochran went on to say that although no one on the council currently has children attending Pinson’s schools, the entire council is passionate about the schools and the children who attend them.
“We pour into those kids, we act in plays with those kids, we call Friday night football games with those kids, we stand on the sidelines and do the chain gang for years and years for those kids,” he said. “We do an awful lot for those kids because we love them, and we want them to have the absolute best possible education they can get, and that includes the best facilities.”
The council will consider taking up the feasibility study proposal at the next council meeting.
In other business, the council unanimously approved motions concerning three requests from Pinson Valley High School and Rudd Middle School.
The city will provide the PVHS Fine Arts Department with $4,000 to help fund its new Visual Arts Academy. Additionally, the council approved $3,500 for clearing around the baseball field at PVHS.
The city will also provide the Rudd Middle School Theater Department with $400 for lumber and materials to assist in building theatrical set pieces.
Additionally, the council approved the following:
- Reappointment of Barry Wilson to the Planning and Zoning Commission for a six-year term, beginning January 1, 2022
- Resolution 22-09, appointing Marvelyn Deese to the Zoning Board of Adjustments for a three-year term, beginning January 1, 2022
- Motion to approve $15,000 for CityFest, which will be May 7, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Motion to elect Mayor Cochran as voting delegate for the Alabama League of Municipalities Conference, as well as naming Councilor John Churchwell first alternative and Councilor Robbie Roberts second alternative
- Resolution 22-10, approving purchase of a 2019 Freightliner M2-106 Grapple Truck for $109,650
- Resolution 22-11, entering into a contract with the Greater Birmingham Humane Society for animal control and pound services
- Motion to approve Backflow removal and installations at PHCC and PYSC, in the amount of $4,200 each
- Motion to approve funding for “Boot Camp Fitness” class to be offered free to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Rock School Complex
The next meeting of the Pinson City Council will be Thursday, March 3, 2022, at Pinson City Hall. Pre-council will begin at 6:15 p.m., and the regular meeting will begin at 7 p.m.