By Crystal McGough, Associate Editor
TRUSSVILLE – Cahaba Homestead Heritage Foundation Inc. President Amy Peterson O’Brien updated the Trussville mayor and council on the Stone Gateway Project at the March 9 council workshop meeting.
“I wanted to give an update on the Stone Gateway fundraising; this is a conservative estimate,” she said. “We’re at about $19,500 in fundraising for Stone Gateway toward our $50,000 goal.”
According to the Cahaba Homestead Heritage Foundation Inc. website, the Stone Gateway Project will identify Trussville’s historic community with sandstone entrances reading: “Cahaba Homestead Village – U.S. Resettlement Administration – Est. 1936-1938.”
The three Stone Gateway entrances are proposed to be located at the Chalkville Road/Rockridge Avenue/Poplar Street intersection, the Poplar Street/Parkway Drive intersection, and the green park along Chalkville Road between Hewitt Street and Magnolia Court.
“We determined that we can have about 500 bricks – if you recall, these are a brick pathway connecting the gateway to the existing sidewalk – that will bear the names of community members, families, and businesses and such,” O’Brien said.
Additionally, she spoke with the council regarding Heritage Days, a four-day event to celebrate and showcase Trussville’s historic district, which will take place April 27-30.
“This is something we talked about as a foundation since 2021 and we’re thrilled that we’re getting around to doing it,” O’Brien said. “This is a series of events on the last weekend of April to celebrate and promote the historic district in Trussville. … Most of these events are free to the public. … We’re hoping this will catch on and be something annual.”
Trussville Director of Finance Mike Hinson explained updates to the 2022-23 fiscal year budget.
“This started with the Glendale purchase, which was not budgeted, and I really wanted to get that in the budget even though it takes us big-time minus net,” Hinson said. “But that’s not necessarily a bad thing because without going net one year on your budget, you would never be able to access funds that we’ve been putting aside all those prior years.
“Once I decided I wanted to do that, I just went out and grabbed a few other places where we’ve been spending money, capital things mostly, where I’d like to just go ahead and up the budget to cover it before I actually do my more in-detail budget amendment in May,” he added. “That’s really what this is. The prompting was the Glendale thing that I really wanted to get in the budget so that we could show we’re being responsible by budgeting it.”
Items expected to be on the March 14 meeting agenda include:
- Reappointment of Sandra Massey Turner and Gary Lloyd to the Historical Committee
- Proclamation honoring Teacher of the Year Amy Prickett
- Proclamation honoring Teacher of the Year Jennifer Coleman
- Proclamation honoring individual HTHS 7A State Indoor Track & Field champions
- Proclamation honoring individual HTHS 7A State Wrestling champions
- Ordinance to adopt updated International Building, Electric & Life Safety Codes
- Ordinance to amend the Public Notices section of the Alcoholic Beverages Ordinance
- Resolution to amend FY2023 Budget
- Resolution to grant additional unpaid medical leave to a city employee
- Resolution to authorize audio/visual equipment contract with Media Merge Inc.
The Trussville City Council will hold its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at 6 p.m.