11/6/09
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16 comments
Reeves wants to spend $5.9 million on Decatur projects
Decatur Council President Greg Reeves wants the city to spend an estimated $5.9 million on infrastructure this fiscal year. And he wants the money allocated before Dec. 31. A project list, which Reeves distributed to the City Council on Oct. 26, calls for a variety of infrastructure improvements citywide, including the building of an addition onto City Hall and unspecified renovations. Other projects seek funds to assist the city’s school system with facility maintenance, complete Ingalls Harbor, and resurface unspecified roads citywide. Combined, Reeves estimates, the projects will cost $5.9 million to complete. He said he is hopeful the council will allocate funding for the projects by year’s end. “It all comes down to this: Are we willing to invest in maintenance and improvements for Decatur?” he wrote in an e-mail to The Daily. “I think that the residents of Decatur expect nothing less,” he continued. Reeves said the City Hall addition would allow Decatur to stop leasing the City Hall Annex on Cain Street. He also said facility improvements for the school system would help with Base Realignment and Closure recruitment. “We rank in the top 10 percent for the state for spending per student, but when you look at facilities, we drop to 43rd of 131,” he said. Reaction from the city’s elected officials during the Oct. 26 meeting was tepid. Mayor Don Stanford said only that he wanted the list to include money for employee raises. Councilman Roger Anders said he preferred to wait until later in the fiscal year before committing. And Councilman Billy Jackson criticized the list, saying he understood the importance of some of the projects, but he did not think the city could afford them this fiscal year. “I think that now is the time where we can’t afford to go and borrow a bunch of money to do projects that could possibly wait,” he said. Water-rate hike To fund the projects, Reeves proposed the city borrow money and increase water fees collected by Decatur Utilities to pay the debt service. “My proposal was to see how far we could go by an increase of 50 cents to $1 per month per residential customer for the many infrastructure projects that are much needed for our community,” he wrote. DU already collects for the city and its school system slightly more than 5 cents per 1,000 gallons sold. Reeves said increasing that to add between 50 cents and $1 to the monthly bills of typical residential customers would generate enough money to cover the debt service on millions of dollars in borrowed funds. That proposal would increase water rates between $0.0838 and $0.1674 per 1,000 gallons, generating an estimated $364,418 to $727,966 for the city annually. But the increase would have a greater impact on industrial customers and high-volume users. For example, an industrial customer consuming 3 million gallons per month would pay between $251.40 and $502.20 extra monthly. “My hope is that the impact to industry, though larger in amounts, would still keep the rates below that of the majority of similarly situated Alabama cities,” Reeves wrote. Reeves also proposed using money for the city’s surplus cash reserve to fund some of the projects. But Jackson and Councilman Ronny Russell are likely to oppose that proposal. According to Jackson, the council has not touched the city’s reserve money since it passed the reserve ordinance in 2000. “Those reserves were set up for our financial well being or for a catastrophic event,” he said. “To say that they’re open for use, they’re not.” Russell has already said he will work to protect the reserve this year, noting that other councilmen seem keen on spending the money. Councilman Gary Hammon did not return a request for comment. Project list Decatur Council President Greg Reeves wants to spend $5.9 million on infrastructure this fiscal year. He has provided the council the following project list, including estimated costs for each project. Total: $5.9 million EVAN BELANGER
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drainage projects and school maintenance I understand, the rest I wonder 'why now?'
I believe it's time for the City of Decatur to adopt a "pay as you go financial system". No borrowing period, except for emergencies!!! Save money for needed projects and spend it wisely on basic city needs first. For Decatur to be financially stable, "Borrow No More" should be the City Council's moto.
You have to be kidding. When will Reeves stop. Most of that list can wait. We do not need to borrow anymore money Reeves. And raising my water bill is not a option either. You have already had a bright idea of city employees work for no pay for a day or two. I guess he has more family members that need work and he is getting jobs for them.
This guy and his accomplice Stafford, does not know when to stop! They both should have been booted during the Busbey bonanza, but yet and still they trod on!! With unemployment so high, and the economy is tanking, who but this "disgusting duo" would come up with such a ponzi scheme?
I understand the paving projects. I just want to know where the money went from the streets that were supposed to be paved in this last budget year? Also, in that same list of streets to be paved for the last budget year, there were ones to be paved in this budget year. If the pattern follows, no streets will be paved if approved so you don't have to worry about that proposal anyway.
since when does making a mistake of electing these bozos.....make it alrigt to let them rob the city.......maybe reeves could just randomly rob people near the interstate...or outside the city limits....
Good luck to the CITIZENS of Decatur. You are going to need it--plus deep pockets.
Lets unspecified these clowns. No plans just spend the money. Who will profit from the Burningtree project? This project must stop! I love the tickler here BRAC recruitment, really. First, who would drive across the river bridge to live in Decatur? Second, most of the people are retiring. Third, tell me why anyone would move here in this city or in morgan county? Fourth, I ain't seen nothing happening yet and wonder if it ever will, that is except spending our money for a nightmare.
Go chamber, council, and commission. All are clowns
Bubba
I feel we need to reduce the sales tax back down to 8%, fix our streets and traffic signals to free up needless traffic jams. Driving through Decatur is such a mess. The traffic signals are the worst operating signals I have noticed in many cities that I drive through. There are also a lot of signals that could be done away with and put in areas where signals are actually needed. Fix this first without borrowing or raising any rates with the reserve money and then work on the other non emergency stuff.
If sales tax go back to 8%, they will be getting a lot of Hartselle folks shopping in Decatur, since hartselle tax will be going up to 9% after the firstt of the year.
BRAC does not want Decatur.
when can they admit this
What a "NUT". Our country has more people out of work than ever in our history and plant's have closed down here and many people are struggling and this "dumb" person want's to go up on our water bill. He just passed and increase in our utilities..
Are you so dumb that you can't figure a way to operate things on what Decatur has now? How many more hilkes will there be?? This happenes on a regular basis and it needs to stop... NOW...
As, far, as, the street's .. we know that the Burninbgtree project and the Decatur project's is about streets for you and Hammons construction business.
You four are the worse counsilmen we have "EVER" had. You don't have any common sense.. Everything is really about you and saving Stanford for what you put him up to do. You are "greedy" and interested in yourself and your family and there is no telling how much you and you family have already profited from this city. You have "zero " interest in Decatur except to get what you can from this city. We are tired of you trying to rip us off. Are you running Decatur.. where in ---- is the Mayor.. ???
THE CITY HALL ADDITION IS COMMON SENSE, RATHER THAN BUYING ANOTHER BUILDING.....DO YOU ALL KNOW HOW MUCH RENT THE CITY PAYS FOR THE CITY HALL ANNEX. THEY SHOULD HAVE STAYED WHERE THEY WERE UNTIL THERE WAS A BETTER ALTERNATIVE. WE HAVE THROWN AWAY MONEY FOR YEARS ON RENT....
BRAC BRAC BARC, I hear that a lot, but come on yall ! Do you think that Decatur will get many families?
We have more industry per square inch on this river and the fear of pollutants are high. Decatur has sold out to heavy industry instead of trying to gleam some of the high tech away from Huntsville.
The schools ARE NOT the BEST either. We can't get past Bob Jones HS and others in HSV. Plus jobs for family members are not many, nor do they pay well enoughg to attact the best qualified.
The 1st impression of Decatur is the view of all that industry at the base of the bridge (Alabama Co Op) and then we have 6th Avenue. 6th Avenue makes Decatur look derelict.
If any infrastructure was going to have money spent on it; my vote woud be 6th Ave and doing something about the eye sores that plaque thiis city.
BRAC people will not come here. When anyone picks up the Daily their first impression of Decatur is a town where the Mayor and Council constantly bickering. We need new leaders! Also, I would bet that one of these jobs will go to Reeves General Contractors.
There is nothing intelligent or original about Stanford and Reeves. They have one thing on their mind along with Hammons and Anders..
To rip Decatur tax payers off..