By Sherri Blevins
The Rainsville City Council met Monday, September 19, 2022. On the docket for consideration was the 2023 FYBudget. The Council held a special meeting earlier to discuss the specifics of the budget, and it unanimously approved the $5,347,800.00 plan during the regular meeting. This amount is an 8% increase over last year’s budget and includes a 3% cost of living raise for City employees.
During the work session, Councilman Byrum asked Fire Chief Willmac Wright to report on the status of the hazardous material stored in Rainsville. Chief Wright explained that the plan for disposing of the material left from the chemical spill was in the hands of the Hull Company, who managed the clean-up. Wright said the company is waiting on profiles and permits before removing the hazardous material stored in the Tom Bevill parking lot. The company expects permits to move the roll-off containers holding the solids in the next week or so. The liquid left in the container in front of the Bevill Center cannot be moved at this time because it must follow a different permitting process. Those liquids may have to be pumped into totes and then hauled to Ohio or somewhere up North to go through a process to be injected back into the earth. That will be an entirely different process they will go through to remove those containers.
The Council heard announcements from other department heads. The library is currently conducting a yard sale with many varied items. It is the biggest fundraising event of the year for the program. The time of the Rainsville Spooktacular has been changed to 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm on October 29, with the Spooky Bash Dance following at 7:00 in the Tom Bevill Center parking lot.
Besides passing the 2023 budget, the Council approved the following items:
• Up to $5,000.00 to prepare the New Public Works Facility location for a survey
• Contract Michael Higgins to survey the New Public Works Facility location
• $1,000.00 to Michael’s Tree Service for tree removal
• $2,400.00 for chairs at the Annex
• $700.00 for a crowd control barrier at the Annex
• $600.00 for a COVID shield at the Annex
• $634.00 for an FTC Security/Alarm System at the Annex ($15.00 monthly fee also)
• Post a part-time position at the Sports and Recreation Department
• $25,000.00 to purchase a generator for the Rainsville Police Department
• $286,884.13 to purchase a 2023 International Sanitation Truck from Ingram Equipment Company
• Empower Mayor Lingerfelt to add the 2023 International to the current sanitation loan at First Southern State Bank and sign all paperwork
• $8,190.00 to purchase (10) 4yd dumpsters from Wastequip
• $2,878.00 to purchase (2) 8yd dumpsters from Wastequip
• $3,800.00 to Boozer Construction for concrete repair at the Waste Water Treatment Plant
• $4,000.00 to Shaddix Co. to purchase manhole lids for the Waste Water Treatment Plant
• $7,588.90 to purchase UV bulbs, sleeves, and O-rings for the Waste Water Treatment Plant
• $5,190.00 to Living Water Services to remove the old pump and install a new pump and replace plumbing on North Church Street
• $15,000.00 to purchase and install manholes in the area close to Nancy’s Lunchbox
The next regular Rainsville City Council meeting is on October 3, 2022.