By Terry Schrimscher
SPRINGVILLE — The Springville City Council met Monday night, Nov. 4, for its first regularly scheduled meeting. The meeting began with a work session at 5:30 p.m., before the regular session.
Estelle Long, a resident of Springville, addressed the council to request road repairs on Long Street. Mayor Isley expressed a desire to help with the situation and asked city attorney James Hill III to evaluate the request with city road ordinances to see how the city can legally help.
Parks and Recreation Director Ashley Lyons presented a proposal to purchase new playground equipment for Big Springs Park. Lyons has worked to earn a grant to apply toward the purchase.
“We received a grant for just under $50,000,” said Lyons. “This equipment has three slides and they are shaded, so when it is really hot like it always is in Alabama in the summer, they can go down the slides without burning themselves.
“Total cost to us will be $66,000 for $112,000 worth.”
Funding for the project would come from existing cash allocated for the department. The council approved the purchase of the new equipment, pending a review of bid law requirements by city attorney Hill.
The regular session began with two public hearings on zoning amendment requests. Ordinance 2019-25, a request to rezone 120 Lee Street to R1, residential, from an unzoned status met with no opposition and was passed. Ordinance 2019-27, a request to rezone two merged properties located at 695 Murphrees Valley Road from R1 and RE, to R1 – residential, also met with no opposition and was passed.
The city also approved Ordinance 2019-26, regulating littering in the city. The new ordinance removes weed abatement from existing regulations and amends the fine structure to allow courts to impose fines as high as $500 or jail time.
The city also approved $1,495 for the annual Movies in the Park project. The first movie, Polar Express, will be Nov. 22.
The council also authorized the engagement of Raymond James, ad underwriter, for an upcoming bond issue.
The council agreed to renew the city’s three-year contract with Avenu for the administration of business licenses and tax collections, pending a final review of the contracts. The company currently collects fees for business licenses, sales and use, and tobacco taxes, among others.
In other business, the council approved the purchase of a 2013 Ford Focus for use by the planning department.
Additional expenses approved in the session include:
$1,092 for uniform screen printing for the fire department
$832 for lease buyout on a current copier and additional funding to lease a new copier
$1,626 for the purchase and installation of glass dividers in the city court office
