Council approves budget, through-road agreement
The Vestavia Hills City Council voted to approve several items of business at a Monday evening.
Perhaps the most notable item on the council’s agenda was the approval of the budget for the 2018 fiscal year.
City Manager Jeff Downes explained the different highlights of the budget, noting the $38.6 million general fund budget is approximately $1.46 million larger than that of 2017.
Proposed expenditures from the city’s capital fund would total $2.3 million, which Downes said does tap into the balance in order to pay for a slew of stormwater and other infrastructure projects.
In addition to the general and capital fund budgets, the 2018 fiscal year will see special fund budget—which largely serves the interests of the Library in the Forest—proposed at $3.9 million, and a Community Spaces budget of $582,000, which is the amount the city receives in rental income from Gold’s Gym.
Total, the city’s expenditures for fiscal year 2018 will be around $45.5 million.
The budget was approved unanimously by the council with little discussion.
The council also voted unanimously to approve an agreement regarding maintenance of through-roads with Jefferson County.
Downes said the agreement is based on the last agreement the city had with Jefferson County. The through-roads agreement was discontinued in 2009 when the county faced financial issues. The county recently began resurrecting the through-roads agreements, Downes said, and according to Downes the new agreements bring more resources for maintenance to the table.
Downes added that measures have also been taken to ensure the agreement remains in the city’s best interest.
“I did add and changed their proposed agreement that can allow a termination with notice unilaterally with Vestavia Hills if we feel that this is not in our best interest,” Downes said.
Downes said the following roads will be included in the agreement and put under maintenance by Jefferson County: Rocky Ridge Road, Columbiana Road, Shades Crest Road, Dolly Ridge Road from Rocky Ridge Road to Cahaba River Road, Green Valley Road, Crosshaven Drive from Dolly Ridge Road to the northern Vestavia city limits, Cahaba River Road, Tyler Road from Columbiana to the city limits, Acton Road and Altadena Road.
The original agreement between Vestavia Hills and Jefferson county did not include roads in Cahaba Heights because the area had not been annexed into the city, Downes said. He added that Tyler Road and Massey Road were a part of the original agreement, but no longer fit the criteria for a through road as they run through predominately residential areas.
Other Council Business Included:
- Awarding a bid for right-of-way vegetation control to Kellis Vegetation for $24,000 per year for three years.
- Awarding a bid for “inside the fence” field maintenance to Speciality Turf Supply.
- Approving easements to Alabama Power for Byrd Park, Wald Park and Altadena Valley Country Club.
- Approving a contract with Rivertree Systems for auditing services.
- Awarding a bid for right-of-way management on U.S. 31 and Columbiana to Turf Management for $64,000 a year.