The Bay Minette City Council reallocated funds last week to accommodate updated cost projections for several city projects.

Dobbins said he discovered the handicap accessible park will cost much more than the $20,000 originally budgeted for it. 

“It is going to cost more like $40,000 to $50,000,” Dobbins said. “The project is not scrapped, but there are federal grants that will pay for the project, and I recommend the council persue those grants.”

The move freed the funds originally allocated for the part. Dobbins suggested the council use the funds budgeted for the handicap park to fix the basketball court at Ulmer Park.

“That court has been needing attention for some time, and we had been working on a way to get the cost down,” Dobbins explained.

Dobbins said he and District 2 Councilman Mike Phillips had discussed the idea of using subcontractors they work with to try and get a lower price.

“We were looking at about $75,000, but this company is willing to do the project for $50,000,” Dobbins said.

Dobbins said the tennis courts at Ulmer Park were also in serious disrepair and needed to be fixed. “Mobile Tennis is willing to do the work, but their bid is a little high. If we can get grants and get the tennis court price down, I would like to do it.”

Arena open for business

Randy McDonald, code enforcement and special events coordinator, said the city of Bay Minette Carol Hodgson Arena is open for business and already booked.

“There will be a horse show Oct. 18,” McDonald told the council Oct. 6. The American Barrel Horse Association will host a barrel racing event Saturda from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“The guy putting it on said there will be approximately 100 to 140 horse trailers out there. That’s anywhere from 100 to 150 people or more coming in town, buying gas, eating at the local restaurants and spending money here.”

McDonald said he has received three or four calls about other available dates for the arena.

McDonald said rent for the arena is $350 per day, regardless of how many people attend the event, and renters are charged a  damage and trash deposit.

“They will be responsible for leaving the arena the way they found it,” McDonald  said.

The council approved the first reading of a resolution awarding the bid for the fence around the arena property to Gatlin Fence.

Pooled Resources

McDonald told council members the pool was official closed for the season, but before closing it had garnered some statewide attention.

“I got a call from the guy at Lake Forrest Country Club, and they want to come out and look at the pool and related operations,” McDonald said.

McDonald said the man had already been to the pool and said he was extremely impressed.

“He said he’s visited pools all over the state and that, by far, ours is the nicest one in the state,” McDonald said. “And that wasn’t just the pool, that includes the operations too.”

City officials finish FEMA training

Three Bay Minette civic leaders have finished the training required to meet Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements.

Randy McDonald, code enforcment and special events coordinator; Phil Bryars, Bay Minette fire chief; and Mike Rowland, Bay Minette police chief are now compliant with FEMA requirements.

“This means that if we were to have a natural disaster, we would be eligible for FEMA assistance,” McDonald said. “All city employees must be certified by National Incident Management Systems.”

 NIMS is a network of governmental and non-governmental agencies used nationwide to respond to natural disasters and/or terrorist attacks at the local, state and federal levels of government.

McDonald was Bay Minette was at about 88 percent compliancy, and most of those not yet certified were new hires.

Tutoring Program coutinues

A tutoring program at Douglasville Field that began this summer will soon continue.

The program, run by Volunteers of America, offers tutoring to students from kindergarten to sixth grade and will take place at the Douglasville Gym.

McDonald told the council the program had been offered during the summer, and it had done well.

“They’ve not only given us use of the gym, but the entire facility,” McDonald said. “We can use the classrooms, anything we need.”

Bay Minette Mayor Sonny Dobbins said the city budgeted $25,000 for Volunteers of America, but would only end up spending $20,000.

“I suggest we use that other $5,000 for other projects,” Dobbins said.

Walking trail named for Barbara Dobbins

Councilman Mike Phillips invited all those present at the Oct. 6 city council meeting to  attend a reception honoring outgoing Mayor Sonny Dobbins, Councilman Mack Byrd and Councilman Tony Edwards following the Oct. 20 council meeting.

“Sonny Dobbins has done his dead-level best to promote this city and do what he thought was best for the city and its residents,” Edwards said. “We had wanted to do something to honor that service, and we think we have come up with something that will make him happy.”

Edwards said the council members decided to name the walking trail at the new pool the Barbara Dobbins Walking Trail.

“That is for my mother who passed away a few years ago,” Dobbins said. “It is very fitting.”