ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — The city of Robertsdale canceled its regular morning council meeting scheduled for Monday, April 20 following a statement from Mayor Charles Murphy that the city does not have any essential business to conduct at this time.
“In maintaining our compliance to Governor Ivey’s declaration pursuant to the Covid-19 guidelines … we will cancel our scheduled Council Meeting for April 20, 2020,” Murphy said.
During its first meeting April 6 since declaring a state of emergency Murphy said the city remains open for business while doing everything possible to project its employees and the public.
“Right now, the only city facility that is closed is the library,” Murphy said. “We have taken steps, including placing protective barriers in places where it is necessary to interact with the public, to ensure the safety of our employees and the public.”
The George P. Thames Adult Activity Center remains active in providing a pick-up point for Catholic Social Services Project R.E.A.C.H. backpack program and delivering meals to senior citizens through the Meals on Wheels program.
The Center is also providing a meal for all senior members every Wednesday, Murphy said.
“We continue to have weekly meetings with all department heads, myself and Mayor Pro Tem Joe Kitchens to ensure we are doing all we can to keep folks safe and help out during this time,” Murphy said. “We are also staying in contact with all local churches and can use them for public assistance if it becomes necessary.”
One thing being considered, Murphy said, is for employees to work different shifts in order to allow for separation.
The city council conducted a short meeting to conduct business on April 6, voting to amend an ordinance to issue a subordinate water, sewer and electric revenue warrant with PNC bank for the construction for the city’s new public works facility.
The loan is part of a requirement of loan which the city has applied for through the USDA originally adopted on March 16 but had to be redone, said Robertsdale CFP Ann Simpson, to “take care of house cleaning.”
“The loan amount remains the same ($3,783,000), along with the interest rate,” Simpson said. “Some things just needed to be added to satisfy the FEMA requirements.”
The total project includes approximately 23,000 square feet, including an administration building, two warehouse buildings, an equipment shed, a truck shed, a fueling station, a mechanic shop and a building maintenance shop.
The project is considered to be Phase 2 of an improvement project surrounding Honeybee Park. Phase 1 of the project was dedicated in July of last year. Phase 3 of the project, which will include an amphitheater, parking and restroom facilities, has also been scheduled as a $1 million cash capital expenditure project for fiscal year 2020.
The project is scheduled for completion sometime next year.
The council also voted Monday to rename Nana Loop in the Nanafield subdivision, effectively splitting the street in half into an East Nana Loop and a West Nana Loop.
Murphy said the move was necessary because of problems with 9-1-1 emergency response and delivery.
