Argo City Council meets for April meeting

Published 12:00 pm Monday, April 14, 2014

Monday night was the Argo City Council’s first meeting for the month of April. Several issues were discussed and reports on the ongoing and upcoming projects in Argo were reported. Monday night’s discussion and agenda included:

– The Argo council unanimously approved the St. Clair County All Hazard Response Assistance Agreement. Ellen Tanner with the EMA was in attendance. “Basically all it does is nail down procedure,” said Tanner. 

The agreement was recently approved by the county commission and allows mutual aide assistance between all counties in St. Clair during emergency situations. “If we have something that comes through here like the tornado that went through Shoals creek,” said Mayor Paul Jennings, “we would could have received money back, and if something happens here we can get that mutual aide.” Fire Chief Mike Platts said that FEMA now requires this signed agreement to be reimbursed now. 

-Mayor Jennings also requested the authority to open a line of credit up to $1 million for long term projects that the council had previously discussed, including road work, updates to city and park and recreation projects. Jennings said that after he opens the credit line for $1 million, he plans to pay it off $50,000 per year with the money gained from the one-cent tax increase. According to Jennings, the $50,000 is approximately half of what the tax increase is anticipated to bring in each year. The council voted to approve the credit line, and Jennings abstained from voting. 

– County Commission Chairman Stan Bateman was at Monday night’s meeting as well. Bateman came to extend an invitation to the council to come before the county commission for financial assistance. “Sometimes I take it for granted that you know you can come and ask us for money,” said Bateman. “But I want you to, and hopefully we can help you out.” After assisting both Springville and Pell City recently with financial donations, Bateman said that he felt that the commission owed money to Argo as well.

– A member of the Argo community and Timber Ridge Subdivision, Stephanie Brannan was also in attendance to speak to the council. Brannan was at the meeting to discuss the issue of cars speeding down a hill located in the Timber Ridge Subdivision. According to Brannan this hill goes directly into a blind curve where children frequently play. The subdivision already has a speed limit sign that is marked 25 miles per hour and a “children at play sign.” Despite this, Brannan said that she often sees cars speeding down the hill. She said that she sometimes goes in the middle of the road to slow them down before they come to the children. She also bought a green man figure with a red flag. “Nothing works,” said Brannan. “And someone is going to get killed.” 

Brannan requested, on behalf of the Timber Ridge HOA, that the council place speed bumps in the road to slow cars. Jennings and the council agreed that speed bumps could often be a hindrance rather than serving its purpose. Jennings said that the placement of speed bumps could interfere with a fire truck, police car, or ambulance coming to an emergency situation.

The council suggested that they prepare an ordinance for the April 23 council meeting. This ordinance will lower the speed to 10 or 15 miles per hour in the Timber Ridge Community. Argo will also have police patrolling the area to insure that speed limits are enforced.

-April 19 and April 26 are the dates for Argo’s Spring Clean Up Day. Two roll off dumpsters will be placed at city hall for Argo residents to use. City hall will also have trash bags. The city of Argo encourages its residents to take advantage of this opportunity and bring all debris to improve the appearance of Argo. 

– Councilwoman Betty Bradley brought up the subject of an animal ordinance and the possibility of enforcing a leash law after she recalled the pit bull attack that occurred in Riverside over the weekend. “I know that we’ve discussed it before,” said Bradley. “But I want to act on it before something terrible like that happens in Argo.”

The city council will be having an open public hearing on Tuesday, April 29 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss an animal ordinance. The council will not vote at this meeting. The meeting will be held primarily to hear the community’s thoughts on an animal ordinance.