Fort Payne discusses state sidewalk renovations

The ADA was first implemented in 1990, as the United States government’s first step toward addressing the needs of citizens living with disabilities. Because Gault Avenue hosts major state highways, U.S. 11 and Alabama Highway 35, the ALDOT paves and maintains the roadway, along with the right-of-way alongside it. Curb and ramp installation is being performed at several intersections between Third Street to Eighth Street North to make it easier for someone in a wheelchair to interact with the ramps.

According to the ALDOT website, Project No. 100072666 costs $798,000, with the federal share covering $638,400 of the cost.

Mayor Brian Baine encouraged a work session dealing with sidewalks.

“I want to get Fort Payne Main Street and the Chamber of Commerce involved in the designing,” Baine said during Tuesday’s meeting. “Mary Reed of Main Street has been instrumental in providing some layouts and different things so that we can get our designs of what we are going to do with the TAP grant.”

The work session was set March 1 at 4 p.m.

In other business, Baine discussed his attendance at a recent Mayor’s Summit, where he interacted with the mayors of Oneonta, Fort Deposit, Fayette and Centreville, spending two hours on each community.

“We talked about things we could enhance, for example, adding sidewalks for making our towns more walkable. You have to factor in things like adding trees along the way so there are shaded spots. We also discussed murals, which are big on having so people come into town to get their picture made with Pete the Cat, for example,” Baine said, saying art created by local artists increases visibility.

Baine said the city had filed for a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant to assist with the purchase of radio gear.

He said that in his weekly call with D.C. advocate Shannon Scruggs Campagna, arrangements were made for the city council to meet in early March with members of the local Congressional delegation, including Congressman Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, and U.S. Senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, plus representatives of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and Norfolk Southern Railroad. They canceled the next regularly scheduled meeting of March 7 due to multiple council members planning on being out of town.

Baine said Mater’s Pizza and Pasta Emporium Owner Chris Roberts had signed the easement giving the city the right to use the alleyway between the new restaurant and its neighbor so customers can cut through rather than walking around the entire block. The alleyway will be gated, closed during the overnight hours to discourage mischief.

In other business, Baine said that City HR official Tricia Dunne had put some of the city’s older vehicles on govdeals.com and generated roughly $20,000 in excess of what had already sold.

“This is old scrap stuff,” Baine explained.

And Council President Pro Tem Lynn Brewer noted fencing under installation at the Alabama Walking Park, saying it looks nice.

Council President Walter Watson thanked Fire Chief Stacy Smith and the DeKalb Ambulance Service for “all that you do. You do an excellent job and what you do is real important.”

The City Council also approved Resolution 2023-04, informing the Alabama Department of Environmental Management of steps taken by the Fort Payne Wastewater Plant to meet permit requirements. They do this annually.

The council approved activity permits for a planned easter egg hunt coordinated by Cotton State Boutique in the City Park on Saturday, April 1, from noon until 5 p.m. and the Suicide Prevention Awareness Walk on Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., coordinated by the SAM Foundation.

They voted to set the city fireworks show on July 3, 2023. This is a Monday evening. The city isn’t quite ready to host events as they have in the past, due to ongoing construction at the Sports Complex, but Baine said he would ask City Superintendent Brian Jett about the possibility of opening Wildcat Stadium to anyone who wants to watch the fireworks show, which will be ignited from the field in front of Little Ridge Intermediate School.