Thorsby Council approves bylaws for Parks and Recreation
Published 8:34 am Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Thorsby’s Town Council on Monday approved revised bylaws for the town’s Parks and Recreation department.
The bylaws had been discussed for several weeks.
Council members had expressed concern about practices and games being scheduled on Sundays. Crystal Smith with Parks and Rec said that while activities wouldn’t be planned for Sundays, sometimes tournaments fall behind schedule and must be completed on Sundays.
Smith assured the Council that if it is necessary to play games on a Sunday, they would begin after church services would have dismissed.
Smith also expressed concern about part of the bylaws stating that any worker must be over the age of 16. Children under 16 sometimes work the concession stand window, she said.
The Council agreed to let children under 16 work if the job didn’t include cooking or any other activity that could present a danger.
The Council unanimously approved the revised bylaws, with the corrections that had been discussed during the meeting.
In other business, the Council:
•Heard from Barnett about a resident concerned about speeding in the area around the intersection of Alabama Avenue and Franklin Street. The Council seemed to favor a caution light over other speed-deterrent options, and a caution light that used to hang at the intersection could be re-installed.
•Approved renewing a loan for the Solid Waste Authority. Of the loan in the amount of about $682,000, the town’s share is 8 percent. Each municipality in Chilton County plus the Chilton County Commission entered into an agreement to borrow the money for the installation of a waste transfer station, and each entity will have to approve the renewal of the loan.
•Heard from Town Clerk Crystal Smith that the town saved about $6,500 in the six months it has been using a gas card system for town vehicles. Smith compared the last six months to the same time period a year ago.
•Declared Councilman Glenn Littleton as the substitute for Mayor Jean Nelson in times she couldn’t attend meetings of the Chilton County E-911 Board, of which Nelson is a member.
•Voted to donate $1,000 to Butterfly Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center, the same amount the town has given in previous years and the amount budgeted.
•Adjusted a water bill for a resident on Third Street. An undiscovered leak led to a water bill of more than $500. Based on the handling of similar incidents in the past, the Council voted to allow the resident to pay a commercial rate for the water billed, which would reduce the bill to just over $200.
•Approved for Smith, Julie Adams, Municipal Court Judge Amanda Baxley and Town Prosecutor Fletcher Green to attend training on May 30 in Hoover, as necessary for the workers to maintain their certifications.
•Declared a 2005 Ford Crown Victoria as surplus, at the recommendation of Police Chief Rodney Barnett. Barnett also presented the Council with an activity report for review.
•Approved the minutes from the March 17 meeting, paid bills and approved the presented financial statement.