Council approves joint agreement for fueling station

MADISON – Madison City Council has approved an agreement among City of Madison, Madison Utilities and Madison County for a joint fueling station on Ray Sanderson Drive.

The station is needed especially during recovery efforts after damage from severe weather. Madison Utilities owns the property, will purchase fuel and pay for insurance, while City of Madison will own the equipment. Each entity will pay for their fuel usage.

For the fuel station, District 2 Council Steve Smith cast a dissenting vote and questioned the station’s ownership. “If the city is spending the bulk of the money for the project … the city should have control,” Smith said. “If we spend $400,000 of city money, we need to have control.”

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church donated $1,000 for use by Madison Senior Center. Wiregrass Construction was paid $32,967.20 for improvements to Mose Chapel Road.

Mayor Paul Finley and human resources continue to “down select for Fire Chief. Another set of down selects needs to be done.” The city has received applications for the opening both locally and nationwide.

Council President Tommy Overcash said council benefited from a strategic planning session for several hours on Jan. 20.

Connect 2017 will be held on Jan. 27 at The Davidson Center at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Mayor Paul Finley will present the “State of the City” address. Tickets for chamber members are $95, individual or $175, couple. For individuals who aren’t chamber members, tickets are $110, individual or $200, couple.

In department reports, the IT department received approval for one-year subscription license with Microsoft through SHI for approximately $13,342. The engineering department will pay $8,790.14 for yearly ArcGIS software maintenance.

Council gave go-ahead for engineering to install a traffic signal at Hughes Road and Gooch Lane.

Sharon Holcombe, 2016 President of Madison Street Festival Committee, said MSF had 35,000 visitors, the largest attendance ever.

From almost 50 applicants, the following groups received grants that totaled $7,002.99: Exceptional People in the Community; Ready Yourself for the Future (RUFF); Madison Senior Center; Horizon (2 grants), Columbia (2), Rainbow, Mill Creek (3), Heritage (2), Madison and West Madison elementary schools; Liberty Middle School; and James Clemens (3) and Bob Jones high schools (3).

Tina Clark, Madison Arts Council President, presented artists who won for Christmas Card Lane. Teresa Batchelor earned first-place honors. Stephanie Thompson took second place, and Scott Brown received third place.

LeAnne McGee introduced the 2017 Madison Family of the Year, Drs. David and Michele Parker and sons David II and Matthew. David and Michele moved to Madison in 2001 after graduating from University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry and opened Madison Eye Care Center. Their sons attend Rainbow Elementary School.

Elbert Balch, business owner on Main Street, thanked Gayle Milam and the Parks and Recreation and Public Works departments for holiday decorations placed downtown during the Christmas season.