Alamo Will Renovate Historic Structure for New City Hall

The City of Alamo is beginning to see work commence on the building that will eventually house a new City Hall downtown on Main Street. City Manager Jeff Floyd reported to the City Council, which met Tuesday, February 22, that an awning has been removed from the front of the former drug store and the project is beginning to take shape. The City of Alamo owns the 100-year-old structure that fronts the city’s main thoroughfare, and through the years, the building has accommodated various enterprises, including a grocery store and a pharmacy. After about two years of debate about whether to build new on city-owned property or to renovate the approximately 5,000–square-foot structure, which involved forming a strategic planning committee to study the issue, the Council decided it would be more economically feasible to repurpose the old building. Inspections indicated the building is still structurally sound, although extensive repairs will be needed to make the building functional.

The present City Hall is in a former convenience store at the corner of Maine and Commerce Streets. This building was renovated and occupied about 40 years ago after the City moved out of a structure constructed in the 1940s.

The current City Hall has undergone several modifications since its acquisition, including the addition of a front counter, but has become impractical for city functions. A cramped council meeting room has necessitated moving the meetings to the community center during the health pandemic. There are also concerns about black mold in parts of the structure and lack of access compliance per the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Floyd said that he is working closely with project architect Fred Dean of Vidalia on floor plans for the new City Hall, but there is no budget or timeframe for the project at this point.

Recreation Center, Water Meters Floyd also reported on progress on the City’s Recreation Center, which is being funded by a $200,000 matching grant through the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. So far, the city has completed renovating the basketball courts and installing a fence. Future plans call for walking trails, a security system and lighting, a picnic area, pavilions, and possibly a splash pad. Fred Dean is also the architect for this project.

In conjunction with the report on the progress at the Recreation Department, Floyd also noted that the agreement between the City of Alamo and the Wheeler County Board of Education regarding parking space expired February 24.

Floyd said he notified the BOE by letter that per the previous agreement, the City would allow parking at the Recreation Department site until the grant-enabled work there required the parking space to be vacated. The school board had requested to use the space for parking because of ongoing construction at the new Wheeler County School site, which is located adjacent to the Recreation Department. Floyd said approximately 25 vehicles were using the space for the past several months.

The Council got some good news about its investment in a newly-installed water meter reading system. The electronic system allows city workers to check water meters from their vehicles using a special device while riding by the city residences. The system is not only faster, it is more accurate, Floyd said.

He noted that the system dovetails with the City’s Water Conservation Plan that is monitored by the Department of Environment Protection. In 2017, the city lost 40 million gallons of water through faulty water systems, but this loss decreased to 13 million gallons by 2020, and 8 million in 2020. Floyd said the new system won’t stop water leaks, but it indicates where the leaks are occurring so they can be addressed.

Raises, Contracts

In other business, the City approved the following raises for full- and part-time personnel: utility clerk, raise to $17 per hour; city clerk, 3% raise; city manager, 5% raise; outside workers, 2.5% raise; police chief, 5% raise; and city police officers, raise to $18 per hour and the use of a police vehicle to carry home within a 30-mile radius.

The Council approved letting bids for two 2022 Local Municipal Improvement Grant (LMIG) projects: 1100 feet of paving of First Avenue from U.S. Highway 280 to Stewart Street; and a project to offset an area in the vicinity of a fire hydrant on Hartley Road, which is in danger of being struck by large trucks continued from page

traversing the road. The Council also agreed for Floyd to make an offer on a former hardware store site (including about an acre of land and four buildings) located on Railroad Avenue. The City is considering use of the property for a farmer’s market, storage, and for potential commercial purposes.

The City Council also agreed to sign an amended, five-year agreement with Windstream Kinetic to provide enhanced broadband services for the city at a monthly cost of $519.67 per month. The new arrangement will actually cost about $80 less than the previous arrangement and provide more services, Floyd said. The Council signed a resolution to participate in a federal Low Income Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) administered by the Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Family and Children Services by agreement with the City of Alamo as the provider of water and wastewater services. The program helps low-income households pay for drinking water and wastewater for their homes as part of the emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the program is for families who are at risk of being disconnected because of arrearage in the payment of their water/sewer fees.

The three-year agreement would allow the city to distribute the funds from its accounts on an as-needed basis. Floyd explained that the resolution formalizes the City’s participation in the allocation of $38,000 directed to Wheeler County for water bill assistance.

Fire and Police Department Reports The Alamo Fire Department reported activities for January which included response to: a gas leak, an electrical receptacle fire, a structural fire, two brush fires, and one motor vehicle wreck with a fire and injuries; assisting other agencies with two structural fires, and assisting at the landing zone for a medical evacuation by helicopter. The department conducted four meetings and trainings during the month. The Alamo Police Department’s January activities included issuing 32 citations, 45 escorts, 140 security checks, 11 traffic stops, and other duties, for a total of 326 events. The department also reported 26 radar citations in the city’s school zone and $1267.50 paid to the City for fines from these citations.