Council approves Rowley tax abatement; debates drainage problem

Rowley Recycling received the okay from the Demopolis City Council Thursday for a tax abatement on the purchase of $1 million in new equipment.

Kirk Stephens, a member of the Industrial Development Board, spoke to council members during the work session prior to the meeting and explained the massive new shredding equipment, called a hammermill, is one of the largest in the country. Stephens said Rowley expects to hire at least four employees the first year with an added payroll of $250,000.

The company has the option of choosing another site for the equipment, said Stephens. “We want him to stay here.”

In the work session, Mayor Woody Collins brought out that Rowley wants to put in three lanes for entrance to the facility to accommodate the greater volume of traffic. Mayor Woody Collins said the city will try to work out deeding the property needed for the additional lanes, and Rowley would pave the roads.

The Council approved rezoning the property at 1619 Hwy. 80 W from B-3 Community Business to B-4-C General Business. A fireworks stand now is located on the property, and owners want to construct mini-storage units on the site.

Collins stressed that rezoning does not give the owners permission to start building. The owners now must get a construction permit from the city.

Two companies bid on leasing golf carts to the SportsPlex. Yamaha won the bid for 25 carts at an annual cost of $678 each.

Josh Weeks, who lives at 1606 Maria Ave., has had problems with flooding because of a collapsed pipe under his driveway and clogged drainage line across Maria.

After checking policy, Collins told Weeks the city would provide the labor to replace the pipe, but Weeks would have to purchase the culvert. Any head- and tail- walls would be his financial responsibility as well. Weeks agreed to the plan.

Collins also said the drainage pipe was partially clogged and has been cleaned out. However, once the water crosses the road onto private property, it has no defined path to run off. The city will work with the property owner to come up with a solution.

Project director Mike Baker gave an update on the $3 million road paving project. Work is almost completed, with final clean up needed at McNamara Road and Pettus Street. In addition, road construction on Arcola Road and Front Street should begin within the next few weeks.

He said the delay is due to the backlog of work for S.T. Bunn and the shortage of skilled labor.

Councilman David McCants questioned the way speed limit change along U.S. Highway 80, citing a switch from 35 mph to 45 mph and back again. He said even fire trucks trying to leave the station at the corner of Spencer Avenue have trouble because of the speed of traffic. Collins stipulated that speed limits are set by the state, but the city can make recommendations.

Councilman Jim Stanford asked when ditch cleaning will be scheduled. Public Works Director Ashton Jackson said the department is waiting for delivery on a mini-excavator expected to come by the first part of June. The equipment will do a far better job than a backhoe.

Collins said he was approached about setting up a temporary board to review the complicated city signage ordinances and come up with a simplified version. Anyone interested in working on the project is invited to contact City Hall.

Councilman Charles Jones Jr. asked that Baker inspect the sewer lines at Ash and Front streets. “Sewage is just flowing down the street” since the heavy rains last weekend, he said. The situation is making homes along the route uninhabitable. Flood waters were so bad that the sewer cap floated about six inches above ground, Collins added.

At one time the Water Department “smoked” the lines to see where infiltration was occurring and repaired the leaks. Over the years, however, work on streets has caused damage to the lines. Jones said he would bring the problem before the Water and Sewer Board meeting next week, but the board probably will say storm runoff is the city’s problem, said Jones.

Collins said on a typical day the sewer mains handling 2.5 million gallons of water. With the rains last week, the volume can increase to six or seven million gallons.

With that much infiltration, “Sooner or later we’ve got to identify” where it’s leaking, he said.

Both Collins and Jones agreed that the Water and Sewer Board and representatives from the city meet to determine the next steps in solving the issue.