The Times-Journal

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 | DeKalb County's Oldest Newspaper

Classifieds | Jobs | Homes | Autos

County has big plans in 2009

By Lindsay Slater
The Times-Journal

Published December 31, 2008

The DeKalb County Commission is moving forward with projects scheduled to be finished in 2009.

Some of the first things on board include the new county-owned and operated animal adoption center.

Commission President Sid Holcomb said if the weather cooperates, the shelter should be open by Feb. 1.

“The contractor and the architect will meet with me for a final inspection on [Tuesday],” Holcomb said. “We hope to complete the sidewalks and paving in January if weather permits.”

Holcomb said some of the towers on Lookout Mountain are old and obsolete, and plans are in the works to replace those towers with one super tower.

“We will be removing 90 percent of the towers on Antennae Hill on Lookout Mountain and replacing it with a new, larger tower that will be able to carry the load of all the towers that are removed,” Holcomb said.

Holcomb said the new super tower should clear up communication problems that the city and county have with their radios.

The Road Department can expect to have a new maintenance shop that will house the engineering and road superintendent offices.

“The shop will consist of a five-bay shop, 65-by-100 feet long, including the offices,” Holcomb said. “The offices will be separate but will be located on the same site.”

Other completions nearing in 2009 is a children’s reading room at the DeKalb County Library, a new driveway for the Jacksonville State University Field School, the completion of the Board of Education complex in Rainsville, and a resurfacing of County Road 141 in the Cartersville community on Sand Mountain.

Holcomb said the commission was also contacted by the Association of County Commissioners of Alabama to send requests to President-elect Barack Obama’s proposed infrastructure stimulus package.

“The total we sent was $3.5 million for bridge replacements,” Holcomb said.

Holcomb said the future of the projects would depend on the economy to hold up.

“Our funding is dependant on property, sales and gas tax,” Holcomb said. “Decline in these funds would obviously affect the planned projects.”

Share | Save | Mail | Print

Photo Reprints
Purchase select photographs from local games and events. New from The Times-Journal and The Times-Journal.

Business Card Directory

Your Fort Payne and DeKalb County reference guide, featuring accounting, automotive, banks, insurance, restaurants and much more!

Subscription Services: Circulation | Home Delivery | Back Issues | Vacation Stops | Newspapers In Education

The Fort Payne Times-Journal | Publisher: J.D. Davidson

811 Greenhill Blvd.NW, Fort Payne, Alabama 35967 | Tel: 256-845-2550 | Email