Marla Jones, Managing Editor
FORT PAYNE, Ala.-- (Full video on Southern Torch Facebook) The Fort Payne City Council held their regular meeting on Tuesday, January 18.
Russ Russell, representing Warner Athletic Construction, offered Mayor Brian Baine and Council a proposal to refurbish the existing Sports Complex. The proposal would include turf installation of six (6) Little League Fields and the two (2) existing soccer fields at the complex.
Russell stated that if agreed upon, his company would need a month to get material in place and would have an expected start date of April. Work would be completed in three phases, with each phase having a 90-120 day cycle.
While the total scope of the project is being narrowed down, the estimated cost would be under four million dollars, not including fencing, for the approximately 630,000 square feet of complex.
Fort Payne Superintendent, Brian Jett, was present and addressed the Council about his support of the proposal.
After hearing the proposal from Warner Athletic Construction, a motion was made to pause the bidding process at the “New Complex” until a work session can be held to discuss which plan would be the best for the development of Fort Payne.
The New Complex had a total of six (6) soccer fields, with four (4) grass fields and two (2) turf fields being proposed. Seven Million Dollars was allocated by the Council for the development of the new field. The “pause” of the field will only stop the “bidding out” of additional work. Work on fields will be completed by the City of Fort Payne.
According to environmental regulations, the site can not be left as is. Some form of vegetation must be in place at the site. Fort Payne Public Works Director, Tim Williams, stated in the meeting that some form of grass would have to be completed to avoid another fine from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). Fort Payne was cited for this project, according to Mayor Baine, for run-off at the silk wall.
It is undecided whether grass seed, fescue, bermudagrass, or sod will be placed on the fields.
In new business, the Council approved the following:
- Authorized James Payton of Ladd Environmental to prepare the engineering specifications and begin the process of obtaining easements on the “Middle Portion” of the sewer upgrade project.
- Budget adjustment for $16,000 for server software renewal.
- Authorized expenditure of $40,000 to the Patriot’s Park project.
- Authorize preparations of specifications for the interior of the Police Department building.
Mayor Baine updated the Council on the new Hwy 55 restaurant, which will be located on the site of the former DeKalb County Tourism Building.
According to Baine, the Development Company has a letter in hand from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is in the process of obtaining permits to begin construction. According to the development company, “work will begin sooner rather than later”.
Baine also updated the Council on the progress of the demolition of the Old Hospital site.
The demolition company has started working five days a week to finish demolition. Bricks from the Old Hospital will be sold as a fundraiser for the Patriots Park. Call the Fort Payne City Hall to be placed on the list for the bricks.
At the close of the meeting, Scottie Vaughn, a concerned citizen, addressed the Council about the projects that the City of Fort Payne has underway.
“I am concerned about the multiple projects that you are sending out to bid. It sounds like a lot of money from the Police Station to the new complex. I know y'all voted to start it, but without having a tangible, hard number in hand, I feel that may have been a premature vote on some of this,” stated Vaughn.
“I think we need to take a minute to get all the projects from the sewer, police station, new complex, old complex and get all the information as a whole, not individual projects. Individual projects may sound good but as a whole, we don’t have the money to do it, quite frankly. I don’t want to be back up here talking about a tax increase. We need to take our time and get a good plan,” Vaughn concluded.
The Council went into Executive Session to discuss contract negotiations. After the Council returned from the executive session, it was announced that a Public Hearing will be held on February 15, 2022, to accept comments of the City entering into a memorandum of understanding with Marathon Realty Group Inc., to bring a Food City Grocery Store to Fort Payne.
The next meeting of the Fort Payne City Council will be held on February 1, beginning at 12:30 p.m.
