By Theadoris Morris | Staff Writer

Thorsby town council members approved for Mayor Dearl Hilyer to submit a letter of intent for three storm shelters in Thorsby at their council meeting Monday.

Hilyer listed three possible locations for the shelters to be constructed in the town including: by the football field area because of residents who live in apartments close by and there is plenty of parking, at Sam Bentley Park and at the old elementary school.

The estimated cost of the project is $80,000 a shelter.

“The government will pay 75 percent, and we would be responsible for 25 percent, which we can pay in kind,” said Hilyer. “We would be committing this in next year’s budget.”

Council member Tara Jewell made a motion for Hilyer to submit a letter of intent for the three shelters, and council member Jean Nelson seconded it. The request was approved unanimously.

In other business, the council approved to repave eight roads in Thorsby that were marked on the road paving project sheet including: parking area 1 off U.S. Highway 31, parking area 2 off Montgomery Avenue, Frank Street, Nancy Street, Kyle Street, Dakota Road, Jenkins Street and Iowa Street.

The council will come back and look at Dakota Road 2, Lincoln Street and Gill Street at a later date.

Council member Willis Britt mad the motion to pave roads that were marked on the project sheet, and council member Marvin Crumpton seconded it. The request was approved unanimously.

The council agreed to match the Park and Recreation Board by donating $250 to the North Chilton Orioles, a youth team playing in the World Series.

Jewell made a motion to donate $250, and Britt seconded it. The council agreed unanimously.

By Theadoris Morris|Staff Writer

The Thorsby Council agreed to pursue lease agreements with the Thorsby baseball team and Thorsby High School at its meeting Monday.

The Thorsby baseball team is looking to lease the property on Chilton Street between the laundry establishment and right field to build two or three covered batting cages.

The team would lease the property from the town, but it would be coaches’ responsibility to maintain the facility, said Thorsby Mayor Dearl Hilyer.

The council also approved to move forward with leasing the area beside Helen Jenkins Chapel that is currently used as a student overflow parking lot to Thorsby High School.

The council approved the motion to pursue a lease agreement for both properties unanimously.

Both leasing processes would have to go through the Chilton County Board of Education.

In other business, the council and Thorsby Police Chief Rodney Barnett discussed shortening the time that Richard Wood Park is open because of suspicious activity. Currently the park is closed from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m., but the council and Barnett agreed that closing at 10 p.m. would be a good time.

Also, Howie McNeil, certified public accountant for I.H. McNeil III, P.C., of Pelham went over the town’s financial statement for 2010. He concluded that the town is doing well in staying out of debt and paying its own bills.

By Scott Mims

The Thorsby Council approved the town’s 2009 audit report Monday night.

The report, conducted by Hull & Russell, came back mostly positive, Mayor Dearl Hilyer said.

“There weren’t any big items. We just had a few small details that she (Janice Hull) mentioned we could do better,” he said.

For example, the report pointed out that with limited personnel, the town could not effectively implement separation of duties. Hilyer said the town conducts its business with only two clerks.

Both revenues and expenditures went down from 2008 to 2009. Total revenues decreased by about $150,000, from $1.05 million in 2008 to just below $900,000 for 2009.

Hilyer said the biggest factor in the difference was water.

“We had a wet year in ’09 and just didn’t sell as much water,” he told the council.

The town also cut spending to $1.06 million in 2009, down from about $1.6 million the previous year.

In other business, the council voted to purchase an ad in The Clanton Advertiser’s upcoming football magazine at a price to be determined, pending clarification about the ad’s size.

They also voted to buy a full-page ad for the Thorsby High School yearbook at $200.

By Scott Mims

The Thorsby Town Council passed a resolution Tuesday night applying for a $250,000 Community Development Block Grant to replace the bridge on West Medical Center Drive.

The vote followed a public hearing held last week to gather input from citizens. No one in attendance at the hearing opposed the town’s proposal to replace the bridge.

If the grant were awarded, the town would provide a cash match of $4,639.75 in support of the project.

“Currently, the bridge lacks adequate weight requirements to legally carry school buses, service vehicles or emergency vehicles,” wrote Mayor Dearl Hilyer in a letter to Doni Ingram, director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA).

Hilyer was absent at Tuesday night’s meeting because he was on vacation. Council member Jean Nelson sat in for the mayor.

The council also approved a citizen participation plan stating how the public hearing, advertising and other aspects of the grant application process were handled.

In other business, Council member Tara Jewell announced a reminder that Bluegrass in the Park featuring G2 Bluegrass Band from Sweden will be Thursday, July 8 in Richard Wood Park from 7-9 p.m.

Movies in the Park will resume Friday at 8 p.m. with the film “Planet 51.” This will also be held at Richard Wood Park. Fire Chief Lee Gunn said attendance at this year’s movie events has averaged between 300 and 350 people.

Also, at the request of Police Chief Rodney Barnett, the council voted to let Billy Shields attend an educational course in Mississippi at no cost aside from transportation and lodging.

By Stephen Dawkins

It might not be the renovation we’ve been waiting for, but it might be a step in the right direction.
The Thorsby Town Council at its scheduled meeting Monday at the town annex voted to allow the town’s historical preservation committee to renovate the old lunchroom building that stands behind the old Thorsby school.
“If we can complete something like this, make it look nice, we’ll be able to get more people on board to renovate the big building,” committee chairwoman Tracia Bussey said.
Bussey told the council her committee is about $1,000 short of the $10,000 needed to renovate the building, which could then be rented out, similar to how the town uses Helen Jenkins Chapel.
Bussey asked the council to allow the committee to keep income from the building to use for the renovation of the school building.
Council members expressed concern over the cost of utilities and finally voted to allow the committee to keep whatever income was left after the bills had been paid.
City Clerk Denise Gunn told the council that Helen Jenkins Chapel is rented almost every weekend, which seemed to further convince the council members that renovating the lunchroom building would be worthwhile.

In other business, the council:
• Agreed to open a $50,000 line of credit, in part to pay for a new patrol car for the police department
• Allowed the town’s fire department to purchase a refurbished defibrillator for $3,600.
• Decided the town’s Christmas parade would be held beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12. Council members expressed concerns about the parade being held on the night of Dec. 11 because of poor lighting in the town and the possibility the parade could cause problems with a live nativity scene planned for that night.