By Terry Schrimscher
Argo — The Argo City Council approved a bid for pipe repair beneath Mary Ann Lane during the February 12 regular meeting which began with a work session at 5 p.m.
The Council approved the quote from MSE Building Co. Inc. in the amount of $26,900. MSE submitted two options, one for $26,900 and one for $18,243, but the Council opted for the higher one after evaluating the specs of the proposal.
“I think if we’re going to repair it we might as well repair it right and not have a seam three quarters of the way across,” said Council member Ann Brown. The repairs will require tree removal and temporarily removing a fence.
Funds for the repairs will come from a $100,000 allocation from St. Clair County for road repairs. Mayor Betty Bradley announced the county funds in January.
“The mayors of St Clair County all got together and asked St Clair County Commission to return two cents of the four-cent tax that was imposed on gas in 2016 in St Clair County,” Bradley said. “They agreed to give each municipality in St Clair County 100,000 instead of splitting the four-cent tax.”
The Council also approved moving $50,000 of Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (ATRIP) funds to cover expenses for the work on the turn lanes at the intersection of Hwy. 11 and Argo Margaret Road.
“I’ve known Mr. Mitchell for a very, very long time. I’m proud to call him a good friend,” said Argo Police Chief Alan Busler. “I’m even prouder to have you here with us. I hope there’s many more years of great service,” Busler added as he presented the award.
The Council appointed Council member Rick Hopkins to chair the committee for the Fall Festival. Hopkins will apply for tourism grant funding to offset expenses for the event.
The Argo Fall Festival will start at 2 p.m. on October 19. The Council will choose a name for this year’s festival at a later date.
Police Chief Alan Busler gave his monthly report to the Council. Highlighted in the report, the city experienced 601 total calls for police assistance in January. That number includes 231 traffic stops, 14 wrecks and 89 patrol requests.
Fire Chief Scott Payne also presented his monthly report during the meeting. In his report, he said the department received 55 total calls including 24 medical calls. The department also issued 7 burn permits in January.
The next regular meeting of the Argo council is scheduled for February 26 with a work session at 5 p.m. and the regular meeting following immediately after the session. 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.