City working to install lights at walking trail

Posted Saturday, February 24, 2018

DORA - At Thursday’s Dora City Council meeting, the council discussed a grant proposal that would help the city light a portion of the walking trail.

“The City of Sumiton applied for a recreational trails grant and they were awarded $125,000 - $100,000 was the grant and they put up $25,000 matching money,” Mayor Randy Stephens explained. “When it was finished, they had $37,900 left over ... and $7,700 of that was matching money.”

Sumiton used the funds from an ADECA Recreational Trails Program to light the three quarters of a mile of the walking trail in the city, starting next to Bevill State Community College and extending to the Highway 78 overpass.

Stephens said that Sumiton Mayor Petey Ellis contacted him, asking if Dora would be interested in using that money to light part of the walking trail in Dora, which would allow Dora to light approximately 2,000 feet of its portion of the walking trail. According to Stephens, the lights would start at the Highway 78 overpass and continue to Sellers Hollow Road, for a total of 11 lights.

In order for the city to have this money, a change order must be added on to Sumiton’s grant and approved by ADECA. Dora would then have to put up $10,000 for the project.

“Then if it’s successful and citizens like it and it works well, then we might apply for a grant to go the rest of the way with it at some point in the future,” Stephens said.

For this grant, Dora would have to pay the money for the project upfront and then be reimbursed $30,200.

Stephens described the timing as “perfect,” as the city recently came into money from the sale of the T.S. Boyd school building.

The council voted to move forward with this grant proposal and put up the money if ADECA approves the change order.

Stephens also said that he was “very pleased that Sumiton made this offer to us. They could’ve let the money go back but they wanted to work with us and I appreciate the spirit of cooperation.”

In other business, council members:

○ recognized members of Boy Scout Troop 120, who were in attendance at the meeting as part of earning their citizenship in the community badge.

○ approved the Horse Creek Golf Course to purchase a greens mower and a trim mower. The council also approved for the golf course to purchase a new pump to replace the irrigation system’s current primary pump.

They also voted to allow the golf course to purchase a quarter page, $100 advertisement in Sumiton Christian School’s yearbook.

○ voted to send Police Chief Jared Hall to a one-day class to become a certified driving course instructor.

The council also voted to send Fire Chief Brandon Key and a second member of the fire department to training to become CPR instructors.

○ heard a proposal regarding changes to the fire chief’s salary.

Key submitted a proposal to do away with the chief’s salary and increase his hourly rate on the days he works. He also proposed to increase the money the volunteer firefighters receive. Stephens said he believes these changes will ultimately save the city money.

The council voted to approve this change on a three month trial basis. Council member Chris Edwards abstained from voting.