By Theadoris Morris | Staff Writer

The first stone of the veterans’ wall will be placed in Richard Wood Park in Thorsby Thursday, July 7, said Thorsby Mayor Dearl Hilyer at the Town Council meeting Tuesday.

The stone will be 3 feet tall, 2 feet long and 6 inches thick.

The center stone will read: “Thorsby Remembers Our Veterans for the Men and Women of All Branches of the Military. Thank You for Your Service. God Bless You All.”

The Southern Cruisers will hold a benefit ride to raise money for the veterans’ wall on Saturday, Aug. 6.

Registration will be from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. the day of the event at $20 per bike. Riders will leave Richard Wood Park at 10 a.m.

For more information or to pre-register, contact Ernie Ragsdale at 205-646-0339 or 205-688-6374.

In other business, Movies in the Park will resume Friday, July 8 at Richard Wood Park with the showing of “How to Train Your Dragon” at 8 p.m.

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

The school has been categorized as a “brownfield” structure. A brownfield is “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.”

“Hopefully, we will receive the assessment grant to evaluate the building,” said Hilyer. “We’re hoping to get the assessment grant and the cleanup grant.”

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 renovation of the old Thorsby Elementary School lunchroom will not be completed in time for this year’s Swedish Fest due to building code issues, the town council learned Monday night.
Tracia Bussey of the Swedish Fest Committee said the renovations could not continue without a certified architectural plan as required by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. This is because the building is being renovated for public use and it is owned by a municipality.
Initially, the old lunchroom was going to serve as the gathering place for a meeting of descendants of Thorsby’s founders on Oct. 15, but unexpected delays have forced a change of venue. The meeting will now be held at Helen Jenkins Chapel on Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m.
“We did not realize we would have to pursue an architectural drawing, so we did not figure that into the cost of the renovation,” Bussey said.
The committee had estimated the cost of plans would not exceed about $1,000, but Bussey estimates the winning bid will be at least $2,500. While the group plans on pursuing the project, the timing is not what they had hoped.
“It’s all on hold for now,” Bussey said.
Bussey hopes to complete the renovation so the structure can be rented by groups and families for events. This would free up Helen Jenkins Chapel for much needed repairs.
“That building is used weekly,” Bussey said, noting that the windows are in need of additional repair and there are soft spots in the floor.
Ed Angel of Clanton has put more than 400 hours into the old lunchroom, mostly for window repair. Bussey said his generosity has saved the town a lot of money.
“That kind of craftsmanship would normally be about $70 an hour,” she told the council.
The Swedish Fest Committee uses funds raised from past Swedish Fests to pay for projects in the town.
In other business, the council will hold a work session at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 18, followed by its regular council meeting at 7 p.m. The primary topic of discussion will be the town budget.
For more information, call Thorsby City Hall at 646-3575.

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

The Thorsby Town Council unanimously adopted an alcoholic beverage license and fee schedule Monday night.
There are different fees set for numerous types of licenses, depending on what kind of beverages are to be sold in an establishment. The maximum fees are set by the state and range from about $400 to nearly $3,500.
Mayor Dearl Hilyer said once a business is approved by the state and submits an application to the town, it could take as long as 30 days before it is licensed to sell alcohol. This is because the law requires two public hearings to be held at 15 days apart.
“This is the same (schedule) that Jemison is using,” Hilyer told the council.
A majority of Thorsby voters voted to go wet during this year’s June primary election.
In other business, Hilyer encouraged council members to attend one of several upcoming hearings scheduled by the Chilton County Commission to discuss the possibility of a countywide referendum on a 1-cent sales tax increase.
Hilyer attended the first hearing, held at the Jemison Municipal Complex, on Thursday. A major issue addressed at the hearing was whether or not municipalities could benefit from the tax.
The next hearing will be Thursday, Aug. 5 at the Chilton County Courthouse at 6 p.m. The hearings are open to the public.
“That’s definitely something that could affect us,” Hilyer said.
The council also approved the purchase of a new rollup door for a building on Montgomery Avenue currently being rented by CRH North America. The price of the door is $2,625.

By Scott Mims

The town of Thorsby is ready to begin Phase 2 of its lighting improvement project in Richard Wood Park, which will involve the installation of concrete light poles and several new lights.

Phase 1 required the placement of 10 lights around the perimeter of the park and an evaluation of how many additional fixtures would be needed for adequate lighting.

The town’s Swedish Fest Committee came up with the idea and donated $14,000 toward the new lights. The money was raised from two years of Swedish Fest events. The remainder of the project is being funded by half of a $12,500 grant from Rep. Jimmy Martin.

“We’ve been really pleased with how much light they give off and the whole appearance. It really looks nice,” Mayor Dearl Hilyer said.

The 10 working lights are affixed to poles made from PVC pipe. These will be replaced with permanent, decorative concrete poles originally made for the city of Memphis, Tenn. The city turned down a batch of 30 poles because they contained too much brown sand, Hilyer said.

Thorsby purchased all 30 poles for approximately $12,000, and the mayor called it a “good buy,” crediting councilman Neil Benson with locating the poles. He said about 15 would be used in Richard Wood Park, and the rest could be used elsewhere if the council decided to pursue a sidewalk grant.

Had the town decided to wait about purchasing additional poles, Hilyer said they could have easily cost twice as much.

“At first, we were not sure about the number of poles we would need (for the park),” he added.

After the study, Hilyer is confident that five additional lights will be enough for the park’s interior. The cost for all 15 lights was $4,500. There will be additional costs in labor and installation.

The mayor estimated the project could be completed within two to three weeks.

“That park is really the centerpiece of our town,” Hilyer said. “I feel like we have one of the nicest, safest parks in the county.”

The other 50 percent of the Martin grant will go toward improvements in Sam Bentley Park. The town is currently waiting on the Park and Recreation Committee to submit a plan for the improvements.

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.