Water Tower given second life at Council meeting

The 89-year-old Commissioner Street water tower has a new lease on life.

The Demopolis City Council Thursday approved a quit claim deed on the property so that the Water Board could give the tower and the land it sits on to the Marengo County Historical Society.

Action was needed because a deed search of the property dating back to 1948 showed the land reverted from the Water Board to the City of Demopolis if the tower no longer was used.

Mayor Woody Collins then presented a $10,000 check to the MCHS to help in preserving, renovating and preparing the tower for a second life.

“Those are the fun parts of being mayor,” he said.

The resolution passed by the Council also stated that should the MCHS ever give up the tower, the land would revert back to the city.

At the last Council meeting, members took no action to save the tower. Admitting it is hard to tell a friend “no,” Mayor Collins said, “We were put here for a reason to be good stewards of the city’s money and resources, and I hope we’re doing that.”

However, arrangements were made with private donors to pay off the demolition contractor and have the MCHS take over the tower and land. (See story below for further details.)

Richard Fountain again appeared before the Council concerning the raw sewage running in a ditch behind his home on Ash Street, an issue he has been fighting for 25 years. Mayor Collins said the Water Board as yet cannot find the source of the sewage leak, but plans are in the works to cover the ditch. He told Fountain that his problem was “in the forefront” of concerns and asked him to be patient a little longer.

Fountain, who expressed frustration at having to wait again for a solution, turned to the audience and asked if they would want to live with the situation.

“I’ve been patient for 25 years,” he said.

The Council reappointed Willard Williams to the Water Board and appointed Chuck Smith to fill Arthur Taylor’s unexpired term on the board.

Also reappointed for four-year terms were Scott Stapp, city attorney; W.W. Dinning, city judge; Rex Flowers, Police chief, and Sam Gross, city clerk. Talmus Williams was appointed interim chief of the Fire and Rescue Department.

Michael Mullins, representing the Kiwanis Club, received the go-ahead for the club to make additions and repairs to the playground at the City Landing.

Mullins said the area would be expanded to include a small merry-go-round and swings that will accommodate children with disabilities also.

In other action, the Council:

• Approved the 2019-2020 Audit which should the city had a solid financial year.
• Okayed the use of city property for Christmas on the River and the George Franks Field as an entertainment venue.
• Tabled a request to purchase property at 512 S. Front St. until the mobile home zoning issues are settled.
• Approved a license to sell retail beer off premises only at 610 S. Cedar Ave.
• Heard that the city had demolished two dilapidated homes, two are pending demolition, and a controlled burn in planned in a third.

Demopolis residents step up to save tower

At the Demopolis City Council meeting Thursday, Nov. 5, the Water Board was willing to give the tower and land to whatever entity would assume the liability and pay the contractor, but there was a deadline. The demolition contractor was to start tearing down the tower the following Monday.

Over the weekend a number of people reached out to the Marengo County Historical Society in support of the tower with offers to help pay off the contractor.

“It was never our goal or interest” to own the water tower, said Kirk Brooker, curator for the MCHS. The group wanted the city to take it over and “would be willing to help in any way it could,”

But people throughout the community had been pondering the issue over the weekend, doing research and “put all the pieces together,” he said.

The MCHS board voted unanimously to take on the responsibility. “We can handle this,” was the opinion of the board, said Brooker.

Katherine Glass Smith, president of the MCHS, was “very supportive since Day One,” of saving the tower, he added.

Brooker talked with Jay Reynolds, chairman of the Water Board, who called the contractor to stop the demolition. Private donors stepped up with offers to pay the contractor fee of $15,000.

“For us it was a call to say, ‘You aren’t the only ones that want to see this saved, and we’re willing to help’,” said Brooker.

In the meantime, City Attorney Scott Stapp located the original deed to the land, signed in 1948. The deed states that when the Water Board no longer uses the tower, the land reverts to the city.

With that information, the Council voted Thursday to sign a quit claim to give the land back to the Water Board which, in turn, will sign it over to the MCHS.

The Water Board will give the MCHS the $50,000 it had set aside for demolition, minus the $15,000 to pay off the contractor.

The remaining $35,000 plus the $15,000 from private donors will enable the MCHS to begin work to secure the tower, search for grants and determine future use. That money is in addition to the $10,000 the city donated to the MCHS at the Council meeting.

Brooker said the society will start immediately to investigate the costs of insurance, preservation and any amenities to make the tower attractive to residents and visitors.

“We’re hearing all kinds of ideas how it can be used,” he said.