By Theadoris Morris | Staff Writer

Thorsby Mayor Dearl Hilyer was informed Thursday that the town of Thorsby was approved for a “100-percent covered” assessment grant for its old elementary school.

Hilyer submitted information to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requesting funding for the town’s old school.

The school has been inactive for numerous years and has been categorized as a “brownfield” structure—a “real property, the expansion, redevelopment or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.”

The EPA’s Brownfields Program provides financial and technical assistance for brownsfields revitalization, including grants for environmental assessment, cleanup and job training.

“We’re just waiting for the assessment and the cleanup to see if the building is worth it,” said Hilyer. “Right now, the 20-percent matchup for the cleanup is being waived so it will be at zero cost for the town.”

Ernie Ragsdale, left, president of the Southern Cruisers Motorcycle Club, and Thorsby Mayor Dearl Hilyer on Thursday commemorated the placing of the first piece of a Veterans’ Wall at the town’s Richard Wood Park.

The concrete structure will include names of Chilton County veterans. A base and plaque were placed Thursday, and the project is being led by Ragsdale’s group.

“We’re going to get them all on there that want to go on it,” Ragsdale said.

To donate to the project or have a local veteran’s name included on the wall, call Ragsdale at 646-0338 (home) or 688-0467 (cell).

By Theadoris Morris

The closing of the Thorsby Library for renovations was approved at the Thorsby Town Council meeting Tuesday.

“The library will be temporarily closed until further notice,” said Mayor Dearl Hilyer. “The majority of the people that come in the library use the computers and not the book area, so until we find a better facility for the library, we feel that this is the best thing to do.”

The library will be made into a clerk’s office. The books will be given back to Clanton.

Residents will continue to have access to the computers, said Hilyer.

In other business, the Thorsby Fire Department’s $63,000 grant for new equipment was approved, and Fire Chief Lee Gunn is looking to begin the bidding within the next month.

Also, an engineer for the Medical Center Drive bridge project was received and approved. Calvin Cassidy will be the engineer.

It was also approved for the town to partner with Judicial Correction Services, Inc. to collect court funds and fines.

“Hopefully this will encourage people to go ahead and pay their fines,” said town clerk Denise Gunn. “If someone comes in and wants to pay a fine, I will say, ‘I can’t take your money,’ which will take it off my back.”

The company will add an additional $10 for each month a person’s fine isn’t paid. It is planned to take effect Feb. 8.

There will be a public hearing Thursday, Jan. 20 at the Municipal Annex at 5:30 p.m.

By Justin Averette

The Thorsby Town Council cleared up a gray area concerning employee vacation time during its Monday meeting.

The town’s current policy awards employees with five days vacation after a year of work and 10 days vacation after three years on the job.

The issue becomes tricky when considering the town’s police officers, which work 12-hour shifts. Several new officers have recently earned vacation time or will soon, according to Town Clerk Denise Gunn.

After discussing the matter, the council voted to change the wording to hours instead of days. For example, employees will earn 40 hours of vacation after one year of work instead of five days.

The council had talked about giving officers five full 12-hour days of vacation, but ultimately voted against giving one town department more vacation time than another.

In other business, the council took the following actions:
•Mayor Dearl Hilyer announced the town has been awarded a $1,930 Gateway Project grant from Alabama Power. The money will be used to put up welcome signs.

•City Superintendent Terry Jackson addressed the council about a problem the town is having with septic haulers illegally dumping waste into Thorsby’s sewer system. Jackson said it is a crime and charges will be pressed against anybody caught.

•The town’s Christmas party will be Thursday, Dec. 16 for town employees and citizens who serve on different boards and committees.

By Theadoris Morris

Water consumption and utilities have dropped in Thorsby because of the recent rain, which is good for the citizens’ pockets, but not for the city.

Superintendent Terry Jackson discussed the water report at Thorsby’s Town Hall Meeting yesterday.

“Because of the rain, citizens have not been using water for their plants, for example,” said Mayor Dearl Hilyer.

“Water sales are a big part of this town because we do not have other taxes, and sales are down from what we have been selling.”

In other business, the Thorsby Christmas Parade was approved to be held Dec. 4, 2010, at 4:30 p.m. It was set for this date and time so it will coordinate with the school fundraiser.

“The school is having a $5 a bowl soup and chili sell-off,” said Hilyer. “The plan is to have the event with the school kids.”

“Dollar” Bill Lawson from 102.5 “The Bull” radio station in Birmingham will be the grand marshal of the events.

Also mentioned, the town has a new Christmas tree that will be going up this year.

By Scott Mims

The Thorsby Town Council unanimously passed a $1.7 million budget late Monday night.

The 2010-2011 budget included across-the-board bonuses for town employees in the amount of 1.92 percent of 52 weeks of pay.

The town also plans to resurface the parking area in front of Mizzell’s Super Saver and adjacent businesses on both sides of the railroad track, as well as a portion of roadway in the coming fiscal year.

“We put enough in the budget to resurface 1 mile of road,” Mayor Dearl Hilyer said.

Less money was budgeted for renovations than originally planned, but Hilyer said a portion of court funds could be used to repair offices at City Hall. Other pieces of town property are also in need of upkeep, such as Helen Jenkins Chapel, and the town water tower needs a fresh coat of paint.

“There are too many needs with too little money,” Hilyer said in a phone interview Tuesday.

One need that cannot be ignored, he said, is the computer server at City Hall, which has been used for eight years — which means a new server is about three years overdue.

While the town is still paying off some older debt, Hilyer said there is no plan to borrow any money in the new fiscal year.

“We balanced our budget. We didn’t create any new debt for 2010, and there is no plan to create any (new) debt for 2011,” he said.

Also, monthly garbage rates are going up $1 per pickup for town customers.

By Scott Mims

The town of Thorsby’s quest to obtain lights and crossbars at its railroad crossings is hopefully coming to an end.
Mayor Dearl Hilyer reported to the Town Council Monday night that the federal government has completed all necessary paperwork for the equipment to be installed.
“Everything is signed, official, money’s there,” Hilyer said. “The parts have been ordered.”
Since the most recent train-related crash at the intersection of U.S. Highway 31 and Chilton County Road 623, which involved a log truck the morning of Aug. 5, the town’s police department has been patrolling the crossings and issuing tickets to motorists caught running stop signs at railroad crossings. Those who receive the tickets, Hilyer said, have the option of attending an hour-long safety program presented at the Thorsby Annex. The next safety program is scheduled for today (Tuesday) at 5 p.m.
At a recent meeting between CSX and the Alabama Department of Transportation, Hilyer said, Thorsby’s efforts to spread railroad safety awareness through programs like Operation Lifesaver were mentioned.
“They were using us as an example of what some of the towns and cities should use in helping raise awareness about the danger of railroad crossings,” he said.
But the town’s recent history of crashes is difficult to ignore. Three log truck versus train crashes have occurred at the aforementioned crossing, the other two occurring on Oct. 9, 2006, and June 14, 2007.
Hilyer said he recently learned that 70 percent of all crashes at railroad crossings occurred at crossings equipped with crossbars.
“There’s no way to make them accident proof,” he said, “but maybe we will increase the chances of visibility that a train is coming.”
Hilyer said he would report to the council as soon as he knows a date for installation of the crossbars.
In other business, the council:
•Scheduled public hearings regarding an alcohol license for Mizzell’s and Main Street Market for Thursday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. and Friday, Sept. 3 at 11 a.m. at the Town Annex.
•Announced the next council meeting will be held Friday, Sept. 3 at 11 a.m. due to the Labor Day holiday.
•Accepted the resignation of Shonda Copen from the Park and Recreation Board.

By Scott Mims

Nearly 40 people attended the first of several public hearings Thursday night organized by the Chilton County Commission on a proposed 1-cent sales tax increase.
The commission presented a plan outlining how the tax revenue would be used if approved by a majority of voters — one third to resurface paved roads, and two thirds to construct new road projects, including bridges.
“A sales tax is probably the fairest tax there is,” said Commissioner Red Turnipseed. “Everybody buys stuff to use.”
Turnipseed estimated the tax would generate annual revenue of about $3 million. County Engineer Tony Wearren said the road department operates on a budget of about $3.2 million.
Wearren said since 2002, the average increase of the cost of paving materials has been 99 percent.
“It’s almost doubled in eight years. In that time, the road department budget has either been level or reduced,” he said.
Wearren explained that chip seal roads, like many of those in the county, are intended to last seven to 10 years. Some in Chilton County are nearing 40 years old, he said.
In addition, there are 110 bridges in the county, 18 of which are 50-plus years old and an additional 19 of which are 40-plus years old.
Currently, five bridges are closed and 16 are rated at a maximum weight of three tons, which is the minimum rating a bridge can have before it must be closed.
“We have a major concern coming up in the next eight or 10 years on what we are going to do with our bridges,” Wearren said.
Most commissioners expressed full support of the increase; Greg Moore and Bobby Agee indicated their ultimate decisions would be based on what the people decided.
Joe Headley said he was not 100 percent in favor of raising taxes. Upon hearing this, resident Pat Glenn asked if he lived on a dirt road.
“You need to live on a dirt road for about 20 years, and then you’ll be in favor of it,” said Glenn.
Commissioner Heedy Hayes pointed out that the commission currently does not receive any sales tax revenue. The percentage allotted to the county goes 100 percent to schools.
Rep. Jimmy Martin confirmed this.
“We don’t get one cent sales tax — not one penny,” Hayes said.
Jemison Mayor Eddie Reed spoke favorably of the proposal but said municipalities should be able to benefit from the tax since the majority of Chilton’s businesses are located within cities and towns.
“We face the same (road) issues that Chilton County faces,” Reed said.
Hayes said the county has helped towns with paving projects, such as County Road 50 that runs into Thorsby and County Road 42 that runs into Jemison. He said the commission could have stopped short in these instances.
Thorsby Mayor Dearl Hilyer echoed Reed’s concerns, as did others.
“I would be for the tax, but I’ve got to stick with our mayors,” said resident Margaret Cobb.
Resident Carl Headley asked if the county could explore alternatives, such as taxing alcoholic beverages.
“It seems a little bit unfair to me that we would consider taxing the necessities of life,” he said, adding he would like to see a percentage of the money go to a capital reserve fund.

By Scott Mims

The Thorsby Town Council voted Monday night to purchase an in-car video camera for the police department.
The camera’s estimated cost is $5,000, but there is room in the police department’s budget for the equipment with minor adjustments, said Mayor Dearl Hilyer.
“All we’re trying to do is keep our officers safe and be competitive with everybody else,” said Thorsby Police Chief Rodney Barnett.
Council member Tara Jewell said the cameras serve to assist with investigations and protect both citizens and police departments, especially from a legal standpoint. The cameras have the capability of storing up to two minutes of footage prior to activation.
On the downside, they are rather expensive, but Hilyer said Barnett did “a good job of saving money in other areas,” which freed up more funding for the purchase of equipment.
In other business, the council officially canvassed last Tuesday’s wet/dry vote. A majority of citizens voted to go wet, 310 “yes” versus 208 “no.”
The council also approved the purchase of a $2,500 dump truck, which was previously used by the military. The town recently declared an old truck surplus and was able to come up with the money.
Water Superintendent Terry Jackson said the portion of Iowa Avenue between Lincoln Street and Pitts Street would be closed next week for the replacement of a pipe in the area. He said the project was scheduled to start Monday, but that is subject to change.

By Scott Mims

The Chilton Leadership Class of 2010 has unveiled their class project — a promotional video for Chilton County and a brochure that highlights activities in the ever-expanding Minooka Park.

With the help of an Alabama Tourism Department grant, the group printed 100,000 copies of a brochure featuring scenic photographs, a roadmap, contact information and a summary of what Minooka Park has to offer.

Also, a video available on the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce website, chiltoncountychamber.com, promotes many aspects of the county such as recreation, government, community events and industry through a slideshow of photographs accompanied by original music.

“We decided we wanted to promote Chilton County,” said class representative Danny Carter. “We didn’t think it was being promoted well enough.”

The group, sponsored jointly by the chamber of commerce and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, raised $2,800 including the $1,100 matching grant to fund their project. The grant was matched by the county and local municipalities.

Half of the Minooka Park brochures will be distributed around the state to rest stops and other areas frequented by tourists. The rest will go to the chamber and locations around the county.

Several portable displays showing the video will also be distributed to different local businesses.

“We all have to work together to succeed in the county’s growth, and that’s what the video is all about,” said class representative J. Sam Johnson.

Sixteen people graduated from the Chilton Leadership program on Tuesday. The event was held at the Helen Parrish Activity Center in conjunction with the chamber’s monthly business luncheon.

The graduates were: Rex D. Bittle, Danny Carter, Angela Cofer, Jana Conlee, Sherry Cox, Rachel Giles, Lee Gunn, Sheila Haigler, Dearl Hilyer, J. Sam Johnson, Laura Jones, LaGora Lykes, Ralph Mason, Keith L. Moore, Debbie Orange and John Shearon.

Each year, a different leadership class spearheads a project that requires teamwork. Members gain a better understanding of the county’s problems, opportunities and resources, and learn how to build networks with community leaders around the county.

“I’m fairly new to the community,” said class representative Rex Bittle. “I’ve been here for less than five years. It seemed like a quick, in-depth way to learn about the county, and it turned out to be more than I could have expected.”

Class sponsors this year were the Alabama Tourism Department, city of Clanton, city of Jemison, Chilton County Commission, Clanton First United Methodist Church, Gordon Smelley, town of Maplesville, Rep. James M. Martin, Gov. Bob Riley and the town of Thorsby.