
Photo Courtesy of the Vestavia H Starnes Media
A Drytech employee models a suit they will wear to help disinfect the Vestavia Hills Fire Department equipment so they can transport any coronavirus patients.
While there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19, coronavirus, in Alabama as of March 9, Vestavia Hills Fire Chief Marvin Green told the City Council the city is prepared should the virus make its way here.
Green is leading planning efforts and said the Fire Department is closely monitoring the situation with coronavirus, though the mortality rate is much lower than influenza. Green said he’s met with other leaders in the city, including Vestavia Hills City Schools Superintendent Todd Freeman, about a proper response. The city has also updated its pandemic plan to include the new virus, and the city has a “modest stockpile” of surgical masks, gloves and isolation gowns if it becomes necessary to use those items, Green said.
In official business at the March 9 meeting, the Council approved the refinancing of existing bonds, in an effort to save money for increased costs to the Community Spaces Plan. The refinancing does not increase debt or extend the maturity but swaps out higher interest rates for lower interest rates, City Manager Jeff Downes said.
The cost savings to the city are expected to be around $1.5 million.
Downes, in his report to the Council, said the deal to bring a second Waffle House to lower U.S. 31 at the south end of the city has been finalized. The restaurant, the second Waffle House in less than a mile, will replace the old Motor Lodge, formerly owned by Larry Maddox.
In his report, Downes also told the Council that record rainfall amounts in the past three months have put “extreme pressure” on city projects, and the city is working as hard as possible to get projects done on dry days.
The annual Wing Ding event is coming up this summer, and the Council approved an alcohol license allowing alcohol to be sold at the event for the fourth year in a row.
The Council also approved an agreement with Jefferson County whereby the county will pay the city $300,000 to assist in relocating county utilities on Crosshaven Drive as a part of the city’s improvement project on that road. The county will also share the engineering cost. The move is expected to expedite the Crosshaven project, which went to bid on March 10.
Council member Kimberly Cook announced an upcoming vacancy on the Vestavia Hills Board of Education, with the term of current board president David Powell coming to an end. The application for the five-year term is available on the city’s website, vhal.org, and the term begins with the June board meeting. Applications are due by April 1, and the Council will conduct interviews on April 6 before voting on a new candidate at its April 27 meeting.
In other business, the Council:
- Approved the purchase of a Sharp Aquos Board for the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest, funded by an LSTA grand in the amount of $8,000. The board will not cost more than $10,000, but an exact purchase price is unknown.
- Approved the purchase of two new police vehicles for no more than $80,000.
- Introduced a resolution approving the low bid for East Street sidewalks, which will be voted on at a future meeting. The low bidder was James Paving in the amount of $483,073.