Pinson City Council allocates additional funding to schools

The Pinson City Council voted Thursday to allocate funding to city schools, the Trussville Tribune reports.

The council started by increasing its contribution to the salary of Pinson Valley High School’s principal from $10,000 to $20,000. Councilor Dawn Tanner said that this money will come out of this year’s discretionary account.

The council also approved funding for exterior improvements to Pinson Valley Elementary School for $15,000, as well as $12,000 for PVHS football uniforms, $12,000 for instruments for PVHS’s marching band, and $6,000 for Rudd Middle School choral risers.

Tanner said that these last three items would come out of discretionary accounts next year.

“We are very, very excited, of course, to have the state championship,” said Pinson Mayor Hoyt Sanders, referring to PVHS’s Class 6A victory over Wetumpka last year. “A lot of eyes will be on us next year. These are really positive things for our community, so it’s very exciting that we invest in our schools in this fashion.”

Sanders said that the yearly budget for the schools is $100,000 and that the items will be needed this year and next year.

“This sounds like a lot of money — and it is — but basically this is something that we do every year and we’re just specifying this year where it goes,” said Councilor John Churchwell.

Rock Center School project update

Erik Hendon from the architectural group Hendon and Huckestein gave a report on change orders or additions to upgrades for the ongoing Rock School Center project. Twenty-eight items were added to the list of orders, including value engineering that Hendon said saves $47,199. Among the change orders were asphalt paving, extended storm sewer, modifications to air conditioning and others. In total savings, he said, $55,188 were saved after bidding.

“I think it’s progressing very well,” Hendon said. “We’re actually ahead of schedule. We’re not ready to officially move up the completion date, but we’re ahead of schedule.”

The council unanimously authorized the change orders, including an additional “island” to the parking lot as well as lighting.

Miscellaneous items

Sanders said that the city will be divided into north and south halves for recycling dates. He said that recycling would be “every other Wednesday respectively.” This will take effect in July.

Sanders also reminded the public of several events coming up, including Movies in the Park on Friday night, Beat the Heat at Turkey Creek on July 21 and National Night Out on Aug. 7 at Innsbrooke Pavilion.

Before entering executive session, the council held a first reading of grant requests by the Center Point and Palmerdale fire districts for assistance. The requests are for funding of various emergency medical equipment and will be addressed at the next meeting.

A letter by Palmerdale Fire Chief Jason Howell said that there would be a five percent cost share if the district is awarded the grant and a five percent payment to the grant writer being used. Afterwards, the council entered into executive session to discuss real estate, trade and commerce.

In other business, the council:

• Annexed a property on Dug Hollow Road at the owners request;
• Heard from Sanders on a $250,000 certificate of deposit that the city has with Hometown Bank;
• Approved increasing the salary of full-time city employees to two and a half percent;
• Approved increasing the salary of two city employee positions to one and a half percent;
• Agreed to replace eight street lights throughout the city and
• Paid the bills in the amount of $447,473.56.