By Sherri Blevins
February is Career Tech Education month. On February 22, 2023, Assistant DeKalb County Career Tech Director Mr. Joey Haymon, Plainview Agriscience Instructor Mr. Rod Hall, and the 2022-2023 Plainview FFA Officers spoke to the Rainsville City Council, providing updates on Career Tech Education.
Haymon stated, “We appreciate our partnership with the City of Rainsville; it is an essential part of what we do to prepare students for lasting high-wage careers.”
February 19-25 was National FFA Week, and Mr. Hall brought his officers to the Council meeting to get first-hand knowledge of city government at work. Hall stated, “I think it is good for our students to experience civics and to attend their city council meetings to see how their municipal government functions, and hopefully, one day, they will play an active part in our city leadership.” Hall explained that FFA Week is traditionally celebrated during the week containing President’s Day to highlight the organization’s commitment to patriotism. He said the agricultural-based leadership organization was born in the public school system to train leaders.
Hall introduced the 2022-2023 FFA Officers: President – Hasten Jones, Vice President – Kailee Keel, Reporter – Lillie Porter, Centinnel – Caitlyn Hosch, and Treasurer – Dylan Rowell.
Two other visitors spoke to the Council. Diana Goss, Director of the DeKalb E-Center, and Tree City Representative Kayron Guffey updated the Council on their organizations’ happenings.
Goss said the DeKalb E-Center recently held its first event. It partnered with Auburn University to present the Auburn Entrepreneurial Workshop offering participants information on how to get their ideas out of their heads, onto paper, and then make them practical. Twenty-four individuals attended the successful workshop. Goss thanked the Tom Bevill Center staff and the Rainsville City Council for all their assistance with the event and getting the E-Center off the ground. Goss said she plans to offer monthly or bimonthly educational workshops to support small businesses.
Kayron Guffey announced that March 1, 2023, would be Arbor Day in Rainsville. To celebrate the day and beautify the City, she asked the City of Rainsville and RTI to purchase cherry trees to plant throughout Rainsville. The City and RTI agreed to a $1000.00 sponsorship for the tree purchase.
During the regular meeting, the Council approved the following requests:
• Addition of two street lights along Dalton Street and Hwy 35 at Ed’s Wholesale
• Empower the Mayor to sign Opioid Litigation Settlements for Teva, Walmart, Walgreens, and CVS
• $1,000 to purchase cherry trees for the City
• Unsurplus the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado-Silver, 2021 Chevrolet Silverado-Black, and 2021 Chevrolet Silverado-Red vehicles and transfer them to the sewer, sanitation, and fire departments
• Rebid two Chevrolet Tahoes-Gray and one 2006 Chevrolet Silverado – White and open bids on March 8 (These vehicles may be bid on separately as well as a group)
• Ordinance 02-22-2023 conveying the old Boozer Bridge back to Claude Shankles
• Hire Alisia Christain as a full-time dispatcher at $13.85 per hour
• Hire Johnnie Arnold as a full-time CDL driver at $16.58 per hour
• Hire Austin Mulligan as a full-time patrol officer at $16.05 per hour
• Hire Khristy Adams as a full-time Sewer/Sanitation Clerk 1 at $12.89 per hour
• Hire Nicholas Burns as a full-time CDL Driver at $16.58 per hour
• Accept Sheila Townsend’s retirement
• Accept Shawn Fowler’s resignation from the police department
• Travel/training requests for the following: Tammy Mason (City Court), Mike Leath (Fire Department), Austin Mulligan (Police Department), Johnathan Langley (Police Department)
• $6,700 to purchase 100 garbage cans
• $3,000 to Boozer Construction for three headwalls on Marshall Rd.
• $500 for advertising to the Shriners Rodeo
• $1,350 to Reed Audio for the installation of a new PA system at the Rainsville Field of Dreams (Plainview High School will purchase the equipment)
• $2,300 to update the Welcome to Rainsville signs
• $735 to Kyle Williams Pressure Washing for work at the Plainview Softball Field
The next Rainsville City Council meeting will be on March 6, with a work session at 2:30 to discuss the school feasibility study. The regular meeting will follow the work session’s conclusion. The public is always welcome.
