The Haleyville City Council met Tuesday with Blue Russell absent. The Council approved the operation bills and purchase orders for January in the amount of $421,663.32. A resolution in support of the efforts of the Alabama League of Municipalities, Governor Ivey and the Alabama Legislature to enact additional motor fuel taxes to alleviate the shortfall in infrastructure funding and provide for a more equitable share of statewide infrastructure funding for municipalities was discussed but did not pass.

A variance for Greenleaf/Shadybrook apartments was approved. These facilities had been grandfathered in was a zoning variance for residential usage. The area would normally be classified as a business zone due to its location next to Highway 195. The apartment complex has applied for a grant to renovate and wanted to make sure there was no problem in their application.

The Council approved the termination of all RDS/AVNU contracts with the city. RDS has had a contract for many years to collect taxes and business license fees for the city. Mayor Sunseri stated the city had received many complaints about the company and decided to cancel the contract within 90 days.

Information about another company was presented by Phil Graves, former Mayor of Guin, to provide the same service. The Council decided to see what other options were available before making a decision for a replacement.

The next Council meeting will be on Monday, March 4, 5:30, at the Haleyville City Hall.

Workers were busy installing a new roof Monday, February 19 as part of the renovation of the old Southern Homes Plant in Double Springs as new frames await the assembly line for single and double-wide manufactured homes. Winston Homebuilders acquired the property which had been sitting unused since Southern Homes moved to Russellville in 2014. The plant already has many workers hired and plans to hire a total of 150 to 170 people to turn out as many as 8 floors per day when it becomes fully operational. The company received a $400,000 grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) to help in the planned $1 million investment to renovate and reopen the facility. According to Double Springs Mayor Elmo Robinson, “150 new hires is great news for the town of Double Springs, which has a population of approximately 1,000.”

Thursday, the Phillips High School She Bears took the floor with a 17-7 first-quarter lead over Decatur Heritage and maintained the lead to a semifinal victory 54-36. The She Bears will play Falkville on Monday at 3 p.m. for the Northwest Regional title.

Haleyville Mayor Ken Sunseri stated Wednesday individuals have contacted the Haleyville Police Dispatch office stating they had received a call from that number requesting money with the threat of being arrested if it was not paid. This is a SCAM! The City of Haleyville and the Haleyville Police Department do not call residents soliciting money for any reason. The best thing to do is just hang up.

This is coming in April:

At Bear Creek Friday night the Phillips She-Bears clinched the Class 1A Area 12 Championship with a convincing 83 to 38 win over the Belgreen Lady Bulldogs.

The She Bears will host Covenant Christian in the State Sub-Regionals at Bear Creek on Monday, February 11 at 7:00 pm.

Thursday night, February 7, the Haleyville Lady Lions Varsity Basketball team defeated Curry 39-31. After the girls’ game, the Lions Varsity Boys defeated Curry 49-42. Both teams capturing the Area Championship. Both teams will now compete at home in the state sub-regionals starting Monday as the Lady Lions will take on Danville Monday night and the Varsity Boys will play St. John Paul II on Tuesday. Both games will be at 7 p.m. at the HHS gym.

New Accounting Clerk, Caroline Thompson, with Mayor Sunseri, Council, and Christy Harbin, City Clerk

The Haleyville City Council met Tuesday with all members present. The Council approved a resolution supporting the protection of local control over public streets and public assets. This was in response to recent actions by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2018 which took unprecedented, sweeping action to prevent local governments from effectively managing public assets and to severely compromise their ability to to manage the public streets effectively and equitably and requires local taxpayers to subsidize the use of public streets and other public assets by the wireless industry. This resolution supports a U.S. House Bill to overturn the FCC’s actions.

Following a public hearing just before the regular Council meeting, A tax abatement was approved for the new Cazadores Mexican Restaurant, which is under construction on Highway 195. The Council also approved amending the City’s sales tax ordinance to correct any language and clerical errors in the original ordinance.

The Council approved advertising for one full-time and 2 seasonal Park and Recreation employees plus lifeguards for this summer.

The next meeting of the Haleyville City Council was moved from Monday, February 18 to Tuesday, February 19 due to the President’s Day Holiday on the 18th.