Center Point City Council looks to demolish vacant buildings

The Center Point City Council made progress toward demolishing vacant houses in the city during Thursday night’s meeting, the Trussville Tribune reports.

The meeting’s agenda initially had eight buildings listed for considered demolition, but some members of the public contested a few buildings on the list. Several speakers came before the council, including real estate company owner who said that he entered a contract with a resident to sell one of the properties listed on the agenda and was not aware that it was being included in a bid list for demolition.

After discussion, Council President Roger Barlow requested that the agenda be amended to exclude two of the listed properties on the advice of legal counsel. He stressed that the owners should begin repairs on the buildings and complete them in order to keep them from being demolished.

The council voted unanimously to open bids at 2 p.m. on July 5. All of the properties in the agenda will be included in the bid list but Barlow said that those who complete repairs can have them removed from the list. Afterwards, the council voted and approved demolition on the remaining six buildings.

Economic Development

Discussion turned to the possibility of establishing a economic development position in the city government. This was brought up in past meetings in which Barlow said that such a position can, in addition to overseeing economic development, coordinate projects and work with the planning and zoning board.

A person can possibly recruited from Auburn University’s economic development training program, he said. He also said that it may cost less if the chamber of commerce hires for the position.

“It’s going to take an energetic person, but I think we can find somebody a lot more economical by doing it this way,” he said.

Councilor Terry Leesburg said that he was not sure if the city can “get our money’s worth” with the position and asked how one would do the studies to draw businesses to Center Point. Barlow replied that they wouldn’t and that they would get that information from recruitment firm Retail Coach.

“We’ve done well, but I think we could do a whole lot better if we could get an economic developer to fill some of these storefronts,” Barlow said, referring to empty storefronts located in the city.

Discussion on an economic development position will be brought up at the next meeting.

Other Business

In other business, the council approved a proposal by Cardiac Solutions for AED defibrillator equipment at a cost not to exceed $11,607. Mayor Thomas Henderson said that the equipment will be available at public facilities, such as the park, city hall, the community center and the public works building. The proposal includes Cardiac Solutions staff doing regular checks on the equipment.

The council authorized a one-time lump sum bonus of $1,330 for several Center Point retirees as part of Retirement Systems of Alabama and an effort to help those in retirement.

In his comments, Henderson said that the certification for the right-of-way properties on Polly Reed Road is completed and that they have gone to the Alabama Department of Transportation where they will be put on bidding lists. He said that pavement will be done ranging from the parkway to the stop sign at the park. Among other upgrades will be filling in ditches, establishing sidewalks and widening an egress point.

Henderson also announced a food truck rally to be held on June 9 at the Eastgate Shopping Center and a back-to-school rally on July 14 where the city will be giving away backpacks to Center Point students.

The next Center Point City Council meeting will be held on June 14, with pre-council at 6:45 p.m. followed by the regular meeting at 7 p.m.