Council starts annexation of airport property
The Demopolis City Council voted to begin annexation of the Airport Industrial Park property at its meeting Thursday.
City Attorney Scott Stapp said advertisement of the annexation must run for four weeks before the Alabama legislature can take action. Even if the state cannot pass the proposal during the current legislative session, the groundwork will be laid for the next session.
Stapp stressed the property being included in the annexation is the airport and adjacent land except for the Two Rivers Lumber Company.
Seth Allgood will fill an unexpired term on the Park and Recreation Board, but action on naming a second member to a vacant position won’t be decided until the next Demopolis City Council meeting Feb. 20.
The Council decided to delay the matter since two of its members were not in attendance. Gary Malone and Cole Basinger are the two candidates up for the vacancy.
As an employer, the City of Demopolis is required to pay its share of retirement for Karl Hale after he completed his military deployment. The Council passed a resolution adjusting the Demopolis Fire and Rescue Department budget to provide the $10,211.72.
In other action the Council:
- Declared surplus property.
- Made a budget adjustment for the Demopolis Police Department to cover overtime pay providing security for school basketball games.
- Approved the payment of general obligation funds.
- Deferred discussion of salaries for the mayor and City Council members for the next term.
In his remarks, Mayor John Laney thanked Becky Jordan for the $5,000 donation to the Theo Ratliff Center. The money will be used for a swimming safety program, specifically, how to survive from a fall in the water.
Laney said the gift was made in response to the drowning of two Demopolis High students last October.
He also congratulated the Demopolis Fire and Rescue Department for receiving the Golden Ax Award from the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation for raising more than $9,000 for MDF.
Laney read a letter from the Florida attorney general thanking the DPD for its help and use of resources in locating the body of Taylor Rose Williams in December.
In pubic comments, one man rose concerns about the growing traffic on U.S. Hwy. 80 now that Dollar Tree has opened and other construction is planned. He asked the city to contact ALDOT about concerns since some 18,000 vehicles travel that road daily.
DPD Chief Rex Flowers said all the mayor has to do is write to request an inspection, which Laney said he would do.
Another resident complained about the raw sewage flowing behind his house. The mayor said he will try to have some action toward solving the problem by the next meeting.
Public comments also were made about the extension of Roman Alley to McNamara Road and the speeding and truck traffic on Walnut Street.