By Marla Jones, Managing Editor • marla@southerntorch.com
RAINSVILLE, Ala. — (Full Video on our Facebook) The Rainsville City Council held their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, October 21.
The Council approved a $500,000 loan from First Southern State Bank with 4% interest to be paid back in eight years. The loan will be taken out to fund the Boozer Bridge project.
Councilmember Bejan Taheri stated that the City would be receiving $94,000 per year from the Rebuild Alabama Act’s gas tax in order to pay back the loan, but Councilmember Marshall Stiefel questioned the amount, asking Taheri to produce the numbers.
Mayor Rodger Lingerfelt clarified, stating the loan would be partially repaid with funds provided by the Rebuild Alabama Act’s gas tax with the remainder through City funds.
In an article previously published by Southern Torch on August 30, 2019, the revenues garnered by the City of Rainsville are estimated to be $46,873.71 annually, according to figures provided by the Association of County Commissions of Alabama.
Councilmember Derek Rosson brought before the Council the subject of pay adjustments for the City’s first responders. He suggested giving them 75 more cents per hour, while raising other City employees’ pay by 35 cents with a one percent pay raise at the end of the year. After discussion amongst the Council, it was agreed that Rosson and Stiefel would meet with City Accountant Betty Holcomb to work out a plan.
In other business, the City approved:
• A streetlight at Bluff View Drive
• Renewal of tax revenue agreement with Avenu Insights & Analytics
• Internal job posting in the wastewater treatment plant
• Accepted Mark Clines’ resignation, effective October 11
• Agreed to pay $2,000 per track for tracks one and five for the Boozer Bridge project
• Hired Gerald Mull as a full-time sanitation CDL driver at a rate of $13.72 per hour
• Promoted Matthew Cooley to Captain of the Rainsville Fire Department at a rate of $14.05 per hour
• $1,824 for repairs at the City Library and a dehumidifier
• The Explorer Program with the Fire Department, which allows teenagers to participate
• Agreed to change cell service to FirstNet for City employees
The next meeting of the Rainsville City Council will be held on Monday, November 4 at 5:30pm with a work session at 4:15pm.
