By Terry Schrimscher, For the Tribune
ARGO – The Argo City Council met Monday night, July 10, for the first regularly scheduled meeting of the month. The Council covered most of the discussion in the work session prior to the meeting and moved quickly through the agenda in the regular meeting, which lasted less than 15 minutes.
The main item on the agenda involved making a one-time payment to the Alabama Employee Retirement System. The extra payment was recently approved by the state legislature.
Act #2023-107, signed by Governor Kay Ivey in May of this year, authorizes cities participating in the Employees’ Retirement System of the Retirement System of Alabama (RSA) to make a one-time bonus payment into the state’s retirement plan for each participating employee. The law stipulates the bonus can be made if no bonus was paid in for 2022.
According to the Alabama State Employees Association, the estimated amount of the bonus for the City of Argo totals $250. The Council approved the resolution to pay the bonuses for city employees.
Chief Scott Payne of the Argo Fire Department delivered his monthly report to the Council. Payne said the department issued 10 burn permits and responded to 40 medical calls in the month of June. Including assists for other departments and other calls, Payne said the department responded to 56 total calls in the month.
Police Chief Alan Busler reported 26 arrests for the month of June. He said the department also responded to seven accidents and 10 residential alarms and five calls for domestic violence. For the month of June, Argo had a total of 276 dispatch calls.
Mayor Betty Bradley, speaking to The Trussville Tribune, said the city has hired a building inspector and is currently looking on state bid lists for a used vehicle. The inspector is expected to begin his work after his state tests later this week and will need a city vehicle.
Bradley said the city received a rate increase letter from Alabama Municipal Insurance Corporation (AMIC).
“It might be something we might need to shop around,” Bradley said. She said Springville and Trussville both recently switched from AMIC. “AMIC’s just getting higher and higher and we’re paying a pretty good bit right now,” she added. The letter did not specify the rate increase amount.
The next meeting of the Argo council is scheduled for July 24, with a work session at 5 p.m. An agenda for each meeting is posted in local businesses including Hill Top Farms, Argo Hardware, Liberty Automotive, Shell, Southland BBQ, Fox’s Pizza and Buckeye Grocery. Agendas are also posted on the city’s Facebook page.