City to Rumble; paving project plans, CARES expenses get okay

Rumble on the River got the go-ahead from the Demopolis City Council Thursday after members designated an entertainment zone for the event June 13-14.

The Council also designated uses for the city’s earmark of CARES Act funds and began plans for paving projects during the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

Rumble on the River is expected to bring hundreds of speed boat racers and enthusiasts to the banks of the Tombigbee River. Park and Recreation Department head Walker Reynolds said a crew of volunteers will help monitor the designated six-foot distance needed during the COVID-19 crisis as the Demopolis Police Department watches over the crowd in the open-container area.

The city has been earmarked for $325,000 through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, Economic and Safety Act for relief during the pandemic. The Council voted to designate $150,000 of that to Whitfield Regional Hospital for its ICU facilities.

Another $14,600 was voted on to extend water and sewer lines to Nazareth Baptist Church on Powe Road.

After lengthy discussion over several options, members of the Council voted for the engineering firm of Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood to bid on $3 million in paving projects throughout the city.

The motion also directed the firm to do the engineering for additional projects. The added projects would bring the total to $4 million. The work would be done if bids are lower than expected or if the city should receive CDBG funds for some of the paving. Trustmark Bank will be the lending institution.

Projects director Mike Baker said a total of about 11 miles of city roads will be paved, with the available funding equally spread among the five districts.

The Council gave city clerk Sam Gross the approval to send out bids for 45 computers to replace the existing ones owned by the city. Members capped the bid at $64,985.

Even though the computers are part of the 2020-2021 budget, Councilman Harris Nelson asked the bids go out now because computers are in high demand as more people go to school or work from home.

Mayor John Laney read a letter from the Arbor Day Foundation designating Demopolis as a 2019 Tree City USA. He said an email from the Alabama Forestry Association commended the city’s horticulture department for its hard work in beautifying the city.

In the only other action, the April 2020 finances were approved.

The mosquito truck will begin its routes Monday. It was delayed because of motor issues. The truck will spray in one district each day.