Scottsboro Water, Sewer and Gas (WS&G)Manager Jim Green was present at the last Scottsboro City Council meeting held on Monday, August 1, 2022 to discuss ARPA funds on behalf of the WS&G Board. Green stated WS&G is looking at running a new 16-inch water line from Randall\u2019s Chapel on Crawford Road all the way to Sequatchie Concrete at the Industrial Park in Hollywood.
\nGreen stated, \u201cIn 1960, we built a water plant , ran a 16-inch line through the town, and that kind of covered the town for a few years. In 1972, with Highway 72 was being developed, we ran an eight-inch water line up 72 to cover the growth. We started growing more and more. In the 90s, we saw some weaknesses where Maples was growing, 72 was developing, and we were adding more things going out 72. We ran a 12-inch line all the way to the Hollywood city limits. Well, in the 2000s, Scottsboro decided they wanted to build an industrial park in Hollywood, so we went out there and ran infrastructures to carry that same 12-inch line, that 10-inch line together out to Hollywood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Green continued, \u201cAs we\u2019ve been studying modeling and our facilities, we\u2019ve discovered that with our current growth and future growth that we already have developing out there, we may have some water issues. We\u2019ve tried to look into putting a 16-inch line up Crawford Road over to 72 and replace a line on 72 that we laid in the 90\u2019s because it is plastic, and it has ruptured several times. This should cover the growth that we have existing now and future growth.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Green, when industrial recruits come to Scottsboro, two of their first questions are regarding highway access and the water system. Green proposed the city take $1.6million in ARPA reserves and enter into a joint venture with the WS&G Board to complete this project. He stated the cost for materials only and the bore underneath 72 would come to $1.6 million, with WS&G covering any overages. WS&G would also install the piping. There is also a Lambert development that will be able to tie into this new water main and be provided more than adequate water for the future growth there.<\/p>\n
There are a couple of hitches. The first being, Crawford Road is slated with the city to be repaved with ARPA funds, and the work must be under contract by next June. The second is this water line project would best be completed before Crawford is paved, but there will be a delay until a purchase order is placed, and that will be when the timeline is presented. Delays in receiving supplies, like the 16-inch piping, is also an issue.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have had several discussions about this,\u201d stated Mayor Jim McCamy. \u201cThis does have a direct impact on future industrial growth. We do have one defense contractor that is located in our part of the industrial park with some other interests. I think you\u2019ll see a lot more up that way. Also, with ARPA, the original intent was for infrastructure, which is exactly what this is.\u201d
\nThis was moved to the next meeting.<\/p>\n
Three terms are expiring this month on the Industrial Development Board. Anyone interested should apply in writing to the City Clerk\u2019s office by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, August 15, 2022.
\nJim Olyniec was back to further discuss the proposed $300,000 – $400,000 pickleball complex that would be installed just off of Heroes Drive next to the tennis courts in Scottsboro. Olyniec presented parts of a letter written by Dr. Gary Spears who was not able to attend the meeting. In the letter, Spears stated Innovate Alabama\u2019s Supplemental Grant Program could help to cover the complex due to the underwriting of the program that states installations of recreational activities are covered.<\/p>\n
Spears\u2019 letter also states, \u201cAs a former city councilman and retired educator, let us use the resources available to make Scottsboro and Jackson County the best place in this region to live, work and play. I support the development of the pickleball courts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoyt Harbin was also present to speak on behalf of the complex. Harbin stated he is currently driving to Guntersville two days a week to play pickleball, meeting players from Arab, Madison, Huntsville, Albertville, Scottsboro and Langston.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve got over 120 people on their roll, and this is in a town half Scottsboro\u2019s size,\u201d Harbin stated. \u201cObviously we\u2019ve got a beautiful complex over there: baseball, soccer, walking trails, track, dog park. I think this pickleball complex would fit perfect right in there. It\u2019ll bring men and women together in our town, old and young, and I do believe it would be good for our town.\u201d<\/p>\n
Next, Rick Roden with the Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce spoke from a business and industry perspective, stating, \u201cWithout a doubt, it\u2019ll be an asset. When we can provide amenities to our business and our industry, whether we\u2019re recruiting them or people moving into this town, any type of asset like this that we can add is a benefit; it\u2019s going to bring more people to town.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olyniec stated, \u201cI would hope that a final decision on this pickleball complex would be based upon the recreation and sports merits that this new facility would offer to the citizens of Scottsboro; the additional recreational and sports amenities offered by the city that are represented by the Chamber of Commerce, the EDA and business recruiters that are attracting new business; and the favorable visitors\u2019 impressions of our city that lead to further growth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Councilmember Ralph Dawe stated, \u201cI\u2019m all for pickleball; I think it\u2019s a good idea. We\u2019ve got budget hearings coming up for our next fiscal year. I just find it hard to go forward with pickleball courts when what we have is not being taken care of.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dawe continued, \u201cI don\u2019t know what it is, if it\u2019s manpower or not, or lack of motivation – I don\u2019t know. But as a result of citizens\u2019 complaints, employees\u2019 complaints and personal observations by myself, coaches not getting background checks – this has been ongoing since April. Bathrooms are not clean, the grounds are not kept or manicured. There\u2019s a $3million baseball field with mildew on the walls. It\u2019s obviously not being maintained. I think we\u2019re having a hard time taking care of what we have now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dawe followed this up with his concern for the budget hearings, wherein Council members are looking at raises for city employees based on their incomes. Dawe stated at the moment that will be his priority.<\/p>\n
Council President Richard Bailey stated he was in agreement with Dawe with some exceptions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand where you\u2019re coming from with some of those situations,\u201d Bailey stated, \u201cbut I also think that, financially, this is the time to do it if we\u2019re going to do it, and we shouldn\u2019t be the last ones.\u201d<\/p>\n
Councilmember Nita Tolliver stated she visited some pickleball courts in Huntsville and Madison and liked what she saw. It was the engagement of the different generations engaging people of all ages, including children, that drew her focus on bringing the sport to Scottsboro. However, Tolliver had exceptions of her own.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am 100% with this; I think this will be great for our community,\u201d Tolliver stated, \u201cbut as Mr. Dawe said, we need to fix some things. I don\u2019t see a problem going forward with this, but I do want to clear up that we need some things fixed at our rec center.\u201d<\/p>\n
This was also moved to the next meeting for a vote.<\/p>\n
Scottsboro City Schools Boardmember Lee Benson attended the meeting and spoke to the Mayor and council members about a grievance with the Rec-Com\u2019s Recreation Director Donnie Woods and his coaching installment practices, along with grievances about Rec-Com teams and competition practices. The heated conversation can be viewed in its entirety on the Scottsboro City Council\u2019s YouTube page at here<\/a> at the 35:28 time stamp.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Scottsboro Water, Sewer and Gas (WS&G)Manager Jim Green was present at the last Scottsboro City Council meeting held on Monday, August 1, 2022 to discuss ARPA funds on behalf of the WS&G Board.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":746,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-front-page-showcase"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.theclarion.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.theclarion.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.theclarion.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.theclarion.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.theclarion.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8897"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/test.theclarion.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8898,"href":"https:\/\/test.theclarion.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8897\/revisions\/8898"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.theclarion.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.theclarion.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.theclarion.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.theclarion.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}