The Foley City Council will meet in a joint work/regular session on Oct. 17 at 4 p.m. at city hall in council chambers. During the meeting, the council will:
Read a proclamation honoring the life of Margie “Lady” Kennedy, a 1940 graduate of Foley High School and resident of Foley for more than 74 years. Margie passed away on Sept. 23 just days before her 100th birthday on Oct. 7.
Hear the introduction of Williams Blackstock Architects to the council.
Discuss an annual report on the collection of impact fees in the city. Foley started with a balance of $222,514 from fiscal year 2021, collected $1.6 million in 2022 and after expenditures of $504,908 leaves a balance of $1.3 million to start 2023 on Oct. 1.
Discuss picking a name for the Pine Street pocket park from either Pine Street Park or Foley Lion Pride Park.
Hear a report on approved and paid bills from the month of September for a total of $6.7 million. Those include:
· General fund: $5 million
· Recreational activities: $59,142
· Gas tax fund: $1,161
· Court corrections fund: $3,825
· Sports tourism-event center operations: $39,422
· Sports tourism-multi-use fields operations: $13,157
· Impact fee fund: $1,600
· Capital projects fund: $ 1.28 million
· Sanitation fund: 240,023
Receive monthly reports from city departments including the collection of $3.1 million in sales tax and a total for the year of $36.4 million, roughly $6 million more than what was budgeted for the just ended fiscal year 2022.
Also in September, the city collected $138,566 in lodging taxes for a year end total of $2.1 million which is about $500,000 above budget projections. The city collected $37,099 in rental taxes for the year bringing in a total of $372,461 or about $96,000 over budget projections. Foley collected $60,937 in local gas taxes for a total of $579,551 about $19,000 over budget projections.
The Building Department collected $190,854 in permit and plan review fees and a total of $2 million in the just ended fiscal year which was about $246,000 over the budgeted amount.
The Community Development Department issued 80 building permits for single family residences for a valuation of $19.4 million and three for new commercial construction worth $10.7 million in September. There were 696 residential unit permits issued for the fiscal year a decrease of 16 percent over fiscal year 2021. The total valuation of the permitted work was $269.1 million and increase of 42 percent over the previous year. Total permits issued for the year were down 25 percent over the previous year.
In September, the fire department responded to a total of 200 incidents including 42 to assist invalids, 28 medical assists, 25 vehicle accidents with no injuries, 18 vehicle accidents with injuries and four building fires. There were 23 calls dispatched that were canceled enroute.
There were 248 prisoners processed through the city jail during September and there were 22 shoplifting incidents, nine for theft, six for vehicle theft and six death investigations. In drug arrests there were 18 for controlled substances, five misdemeanor marijuana arrests and one felony marijuana arrest. Officers were dispatched 1,688 times during the month.
In marketing, the Foley Welcome Center greeted 4,411 visitors an increase of 53.6 percent over the previous year. During the year, the Foley Railroad Museum saw 20,903 visitors for an increase of 28.6 percent over 2021 numbers. The model train exhibit greeted 19,906 guests for an increase of 69 percent over FY 2021. Train riders increased 3.9 percent for the year and the Holmes Medical Museum had 11,004 visitors a huge increase over the previous two years because of repairs at the museum after damage from Hurricane Sally.
Have a second reading of an ordinance to annex 32 acres into the city limits east of State Route 59 and south of Hadley Road for owners Daniel Ray Pugh, Sandra Pugh Norwood, Vickie Wilkinson, John Ricky Pugh and Rebecca Rapier. Plans call for a planned unit development with multi-family units.
Discuss an increase of $12,275 for the hazard mitigation grant project to strengthen Fire Station No. 1 due to an increase in scope, cost and engineering design on the project. Pre-application costs for the project were $25,000.
Discuss a resolution to approve going to bid for the Justice Center fencing project to increase security there. The police department is requesting to spend up to $70,000 for the project.
Consider accepting a grant to pay for half of the cost for bulletproof vests for the police department. The total cost would be $11,577 and the grant from the Bulletproof Vest Partnership would cover $5,788.
Discuss a resolution to approve bids awarded by the city in September. Only two bids were awarded in the month with Green Point AG getting $48,397 for 405 bags of ryegrass seeds and Off the Wall will supply the city with basketball uniforms for $8,187.
Discuss resolutions to set public hearings to declare weeds at 317 S. Elm St. and parcel C2 of the Crown Walk subdivision as nuisances and order they be cleaned up.
Consider a resolution to approve the purchase of two John Deere TX Gators for the Parks and Recreation Department at a total cost of $20,865. Parks and Recreation and Horticulture are currently sharing similar vehicles and when one’s not available pickup trucks are used and causing damage to playing fields.
Discuss a resolution to buy a custom-made barricade trailer for Parks and Recreation for $9,983 to help deploy the barricades at major events. The hope is to have it built and in service before upcoming spring events.
Consider a resolution to get an appraisal on real property for $2,500.
Hear a request from the Foley Sister Cities Commission to display pictures from potential sister city Hennef, Germany, from Nov. 3 until Dec. 3 in the Truist Bank lobby on Laurel Avenue. According to the agenda, the long-term effort is to educate Foley children about worldwide relations.
Consider a resolution declaring primary vendors for the library including Ingram, SYNCB/Amazon, PDR (Physicians Desk Reference), Omnigraphics, Penworthy, Children’s Plus, Rainbow Book Co., Overdrive, Baker & Taylor, Gale/Cengage, Book Page, Usborne, DearReader.com, Capstone, Matthew Bender, InfoGroup, Blackstone, Midwest Tape, Polk City Directories and Data Axle.
Discuss a resolution okaying the application for a Federal Aviation Agency grant for a terminal at the Foley Municipal Airport. If approved, the FAA would fund 95 percent of the cost and the city would have to contribute 5 percent.
Consider a request from Municipal Judge Michael Dasinger to receive a reimbursement of $430 for attending a required workshop to remain eligible to serve as a municipal judge. In the past, the cities of Foley, Elberta and Loxley shared the cost and each city would contribute $140.
Discuss amending capital purchase accounts for FY 2022 for items the council agreed to buy but were not received. Finance is submitting one agenda item to allow each department to receive the items when they are available. There is $498,368 in items from the General Fund, $141,008 to the Jail Corrections Fund and $43,000 to the Sanitation Fund.
Consider a resolution to approve upgrading the Foley’s Kids’ Park playground. The total is about $700,000 and the city will receive matching grant funds of $179,596 from Gametime for larger play structures. This item includes a request for $50,000 to cover demolition, grading work and fencing. A public vote for two themes for the new park – Nature vs. Farm – was cast online and the Nature theme won 63 percent of the vote from about 2,500 votes cast.
Discuss approving a grant application to the American Academy of Dermatology to the Shade Structure Grant Program. If approved it would be for $8,000 for a 10-by-10 shade structure and there is no match required. The location for the shade, if the grant is approved, has not been determined.
Discuss sponsorship of the Kiwanis Club of Foley to help with several events in the city including the Christmas Parade, Special Olympics, Foley Boys and Girls Club summer camp, scholarships for Foley high school students and work with local food banks. Sponsorship levels range from $5,000 to $150.
A resolution donating $200,000 to the Baldwin County Board of Education to be matched by the county’s $200,000 and used only in the Foley High feeder pattern.