By Terry Schrimscher, For the Tribune
ARGO – The Argo City Council met Monday night, July 24, for the second regularly scheduled meeting of the month. After discussing most of the current business in the work session prior to the meeting, the Council moved quickly through the brief agenda in less than 15 minutes.
City of Argo Building Inspector Steve Tuttle
The main item on the published agenda was approval of the hiring of Steve Tuttle as the city’s new building inspector. His hiring was announced at the July 10 meeting pending completion of certification exams.
Tuttle is a reserve police officer in Argo and is expected to work part-time as the building inspector for the city. The position starts at $20 per hour and is expected to begin with 16 hours per week. He previously served Argo as a city clerk.
Speaking to the Trussville Tribune, Mayor Betty Bradley explained the purpose of a building inspector role in city growth.
“Building inspections help to ensure the quality and safety of both the construction process and the finished asset,” Bradley said. “Housing and building code enforcement not only helps to ensure the habitability of specific properties that are in violation of the code, but also helps to keep surrounding homes safe.”
Municipal building codes in Alabama are regulated by the Alabama Building Commission, which now uses the standards set forth in the International Building Code (IBC) 2021 edition. The inspector will work closely with the new planning and zoning board to ensure new construction meets IBC standards.
The Council also approved $1,500 to purchase a laptop and supplies for the Building Inspector position.
The Council approved $8,125 from set-aside relief funds for Goodwin Mills Cawood for work done to date on the Hwy 11 turn lanes leading onto Argo Margaret Road. The Council also approved for work to proceed on a grant application to install a barrier in the road at the train crossing. The barrier is designed to prevent traffic from going around the crossing arms.
The next meeting of the Argo council is scheduled for August 14, 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.
