The Trussville Tribune
July 21 - 27, 2021
Leeds Council From front page
“You’re doing a whale of a job where many people thought it was impossible,” Miller said to Hood before handing him the check. Miller congratulated him on his work with the program and with the season. Hood said that the money will go to “phase 2” of the program’s equipment upgrade, as well as strength and conditioning equipment. When the regular meeting began, the first item that the council took action on was to authorize the preliminary statement and refinancing of the city’s general obligation debt. “What this is about is the interest rates and bonds are at a point where even though everything that we have is has been refinanced previously and we’ve taken money out without extending the term of the bond issue and saved the taxpayers a ton of money – several million dollars – by refinancing bonds at lower interest rates,” Miller said. He added that the city is at a point where they can refinance the current bond and take money out at a lower interest rate but keeping the terms the same. Councilman Johnny Dutton asked if there was a detailed expense report, to which David Langham from investment bank Frazer Lanier Company said that one will be provided when the city gets its credit reapproved and prepares to enter the market. He said that the city is currently paying an interest rate of just over 3% but it is projected that this can be lowered to 1.8%. During his presentation, he added that the city can use funds for various projects such as parks and recreation projects, infrastructure and others but can’t be put into city payroll or into the general fund. After discussion, the council unanimously voted to approve the resolution. A
copy of the resolution, 202107-06, can be seen in the agenda packet of the city’s website. Later in the meeting Leeds Police Chief Jim Atkinson made a presentation to the council to urge them to purchase a Vigilant Solutions automated license plate reader. Atkinson described it as three cameras that would be put on the vehicle of Officer Jake Turnbloom, who has been recognized for his involvement in various drug busts with his K-9 unit.
Photo: Nathan Prewitt.
The system comes at a cost of $15,615 and is a onetime fee that comes with training. The reader captures images of license plates that pass by the officer’s vehicle and will scan them if it is listed as a vehicle that has been stolen, are missing subjects, sex offenders, wanted felony subjects and others. Further details can be seen on the city’s agenda packet. The request was approved unanimously. The council made several appointments during the meeting, including to the library board of trustees. Brent Reeves was reappointed to the board along with new member Susan Miller. Additionally, the council made an appointment to the water works board. This was Eddie Moore, who was appointed by a four-to-two vote. Afterward, the council voted to appoint a new municipal judge with the candidates being Cliff Price, nominated by Councilman Eric Turner and Moses Stone by
Councilwoman Devoris Ragland-Pierce. The council voted to appoint Stone. Mayor Miller said the appointment of Stone was historical. “This is the first time an African American has been appointed judge in Leeds,” Miller said. Stone will be sworn in later this week. Stone, who had previously served as the public defender, won by a three-to-two vote with Councilwoman Angie Latta abstaining. Filling in Stone’s former position as public defender is Brooks Burdett. During public comments In other business, the council: • Declared a building at 7829 Lake Avenue to be a public nuisance and an unsafe building, • Declared a building at 7950 Charles Barkley Avenue to be a public nuisance and an unsafe building, • Declared a building at 1615 Ashville Road to be a public nuisance, • Approved a meeting space for Bingo for senior citizens at the Leeds Civic Center to be overseen by the Knights of Columbus, • Appointed Ragland-Pierce to the public safety committee, • Hired two additional employees in the Administration Department, • Updated the city credit card and employee use schedule to include new senior center director Audrey Bryant, • Removed an item from the agenda on expanding the water works board due to a state ruling “that may bear on this,” Miller said, and • Enacted traffic control measures at Zeigler Road and Stewart Road. Meetings are held on the first and third Mondays of every month. Agenda packets can be seen online at the City of Leeds website.
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City of Pinson to host National Night Out, Back to School Bash in August By Crystal McGough
PINSON — Pinson City Councilor Dawn Tanner announced at the July 15 council meeting that Pinson’s annual National Night Out event will be held Aug. 3, at Bicentennial Park. “This is for our citizens,” Tanner said. “Of course, we’ll be inviting our Center Point and Palmerdale fire departments and our deputies because it’s a way for the community to meet these workers and get to know them.” The city will provide free hotdogs, chips and drinks for the members of the community. “It’s a great opportunity to get out and meet your neighbors,” Mayor Joe Cochran said. “That’s why they call it National Night Out: meet your neighbors, meet first responders, interact with those guys and get to know them one-on-one and put a face with a name.” The city will also be holding a Back to School Bash on Aug. 6, at Bicentennial Park. This event will also be the Movies in the Park finale, showing “Black Panther” at 8:15 p.m. While the public is welcome, the event is primarily geared toward the local schools and students. “We will be doing hotdogs, chips and drinks,” Tanner said. “It’s open to all the schools.” The last regular Movies in the Park event will be July 23, showing “Raya and the Last Dragon.” ONEeighty Church will be serving free hamburgers, hotdogs, chips and cotton candy. The council unanimously approved a motion autho-
rizing the mayor to accept a quote from Tyler Technologies for a new city-wide operating system, which will service city hall, Park & Rec., Public Works and Pinson Public Library. “It’s a full-management suite,” Cochran said. “It will get us into the permitting business, business license, people will be able to do an awful lot of what they need to do with us online. … It’s basically playing in the big boy world of ‘we’re now a municipality.’ We really need to be doing things in a way that’s conducive to ease on the public, as well as efficient here at city hall.” The plan includes a onetime implementation fee of $74,710, which will come out of the city’s savings account, not the regular budget. Then there will be an annual maintenance fee of $29,782. The council also approved up to $12,000 for the purchase of broadcast services and equipment from BoxCast and SlingStudio. “As we broadcast here at council meetings, I’d like to extend that offering,” Cochran said. “In addition to watching it on Facebook Live, my hope is to have a YouTube channel in the future — and the other platforms — and broadcast across all of those.” Cochran said that while
the city will use the BoxCast system for live-streaming because of its ability to send the stream out across multiple social media platforms, they will pair it with SlingStudio video equipment. Other city business: • Councilor Kirkland opened discussion regarding “Welcome to Pinson” signs • Council approved Ordinance 2021-20, annexing 8391 Hwy 75 and 8478 North Valley Road into the city of Pinson • Council approved Resolution 2021-20, setting a public hearing for Aug. 19 to consider the adoption of certain building and related codes • First reading of a resolution authorizing the issuance of an invitation to bid for a monument sign at Bicentennial Park • Council authorized mayor to apply for an 80/20 match grant for electrical vehicle charging stations • Council approved $1,700 for a new wrap for PVHS football trailer Additionally, the Pinson City Council moved to change the location and time of its next council meeting. The next meeting will be held on Aug. 5 at 2 p.m. at the Palmerdale Homestead Community Center.
