By Marla Jones, Managing Editor • marla@southerntorch.com
PHOTO: Resolution 8-19-2019, which allocates money from gas tax funds to the City's bridges and roads, was unanimously passed at Monday's Council meeting. (File Photo)
RAINSVILLE, Ala. — (Full Video on our Facebook) The Rainsville City Council held their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, August 19, 2019.
On March 12, 2019, Governor Kay Ivey signed into law Act 2019-2, also known as the “Rebuild Alabama Act”, which levies an additional excise tax on gasoline and undyed diesel effective on September 1, 2019. The taxes will increase by $.06 per gallon from $.18 to $.24 cents for gasoline and to $.25 per gallon for undyed diesel. Two cent raises will follow in 2020 and 2021. Beginning in 2023, the gas tax will be adjusted annually according to the national highway construction cost index, which is a quarterly estimate of the rising cost of domestic highway construction and maintenance over time.
In Monday's meeting, the Rainsville City Council unanimously adopted Resolution 8-19-2019, allocating the money received from this tax to be used on the improvement of City of Rainsville’s roads and bridges only.
In other news, the Council approved a fifteen member board, called the Public Athletic Board (PAB) to aid in the transfer of the Coliseum to the DeKalb County Board of Education. The members are as follows: Chris Hampton, Sandy Goff, Joey Graham, Rodney Williams, Melissa Ledbetter, Arlan Blevins, Scott Timmons, Sammy Smith, Kelly Bunch, Scott Kirk, Donnie Fraiser, Steve Bowman, Eric Samples, Bubba Johnson, and Skeeter Logan.
The Council gave authorization to participate in the Taser 60 Program, which updates and replaces tasers and batteries used by the Police Department. The City’s contract will be payable over a five year span at a total cost of $19,773. This will be paid out of the Police Savings fund.
The Council approved the following items:
- $2,000 to repair the sewer line on Vista View Drive
- Changed the date of the first council meeting in September to 9/5/19
- Accepted a bid of $21,473.00 on a truck for the WasteWater Treatment Plant
- Approved the Drive Thru renovation project at a total of $14,330 with $4,000 being paid this year and the remainder in the next fiscal year
- Replacement of culvert at Mockingbird Lane in the amount of $2,200.
- Repair of culvert at Everett Street in the amount of $1,500.00
- City Clerk Training in Tuscaloosa, August 28-30
- Revenue Officer Conference October 2-4
- Promoted Sgt. Stephen Malone to School Resource Officer at Cornerstone at current pay
- Accepted the resignation of Jacob Owens from the Police Department
- Opened a position for a police officer
- Hired Ryan Hambrick and Taylor Casey as part-time firefighters.
- Rejected a USDA Loan for Sewer Upgrade in hopes of obtaining a Federal Grant
The next meeting of the Rainsville City Council will be held on September 5, 2019. The meeting was moved due to Labor Day on September 2.
