
Photo by Neal Embry.
Republic Services trash cans are seen at the corner of Post Oak Road and Highfield Drive in Vestavia Hills. Residents of Vestavia Hills have expressed concerns regarding waste pick-up by Republic Services.
Based on a preliminary review of the four bids that came in May 28 to provide city sanitation services, it does not appear that Republic Services will extend their contract with the city of Vestavia Hills.
In his report to the Vestavia Hills City Council at the May 28 meeting, City Manager Jeff Downes said four bids came in, and while they have not been reviewed thoroughly, based on a preliminary review of total cost to the city, Republic had almost doubled their rate and was not one of the two low bidders. The city is required by law to accept the low bid for sanitation services.
More complete information about the bids was not readily available after the meeting, but Downes said the two low bidders were Amwaste and Arrow Disposal Services.
“We were all very pleased with the quality of … the two low bidders,” Downes said.
Also, in his report to the Council, Downes said the low bid for the new New Merkel House came in but was about $80,000 over budget. TCU, the project manager for the Community Spaces Plan, is currently reviewing the bid, Downes said.
Lastly, in his report, Downes said the city is continuing to work on a plan to refinance existing debt, as well as working to build sidewalks on East Street.
With about three months before municipal elections on Aug. 25, Mayor Ashley Curry, along with council members Kimberly Cook, George Pierce and Rusty Weaver announced their bids for re-election. Council member Paul Head did not announce any plans to run again but said he had not yet made up his mind. No challengers to Curry or to any of the council members is known at this time. Candidate qualifying is in mid-July.
Efforts to develop the Blue Lake area continued at the meeting, with the Council rezoning 3120 Blue Lake Drive from Vestavia Hills R-1, low density residential, to VH B-1.2, neighborhood mixed use district. Plans are for the roughly 5,300 square-foot property to become a private personal training center and leasable office and commercial space, said the developer, Walter Renneker.
The Council also approved a large federal grant given to multiple area fire departments, with the largest amount going to the Vestavia Hills Fire Department. The grant, which was roughly $411,000, was split between the Vestavia Hills Fire Department, Mountain Brook Fire Department, Rocky Ridge Fire District, Cahaba Valley Fire District and the North Shelby Fire District, and was given to help pay for the installation of professional video conference equipment in each fire station to enhance the ability to participate in distance learning opportunities provided by the Alabama Fire College. Vestavia’s fire department received about $120,000 of the grant, with a 10% local match of about $12,000.
A few months after the Council agreed to do a land swap with Greendale Apartments, whereby the city would purchase the apartments on Greendale Road and simultaneously sell the property to a developer, while paying for and maintaining part of the road to build a right-turn lane from Crosshaven Drive onto Greendale, the closing date for the deal was extended from June 22 to Sept. 24. The closing date was extended because the apartments will be heavily renovated when they are sold, causing current residents to have to be relocated. So as to do that safely in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the seller and the prospective apartment owner decided to extend the closing date.
Resident Pat Dewees addressed the Council and asked if they would consider a nonbinding resolution condemning an incident in Minneapolis, where a police officer held his knee on the neck of George Floyd until Floyd died, an act that has been widely condemned across the country. Dewees asked for assurances that such an incident would not happen here.
“You will not see that type action from the Vestavia Hills Police Department,” Curry assured Dewees.
In other business, the Council:
- Approved a bid for landscaping at Cahaba Heights Park. The low bid was System Green Landscape, with the bid coming in at about $125,000. Downes said this was about $70,000 less than originally projected.
- Approved the granting of an electrical easement at Wald Park to Alabama Power.
- Approved annexations of the following properties: 2601 Fargo Drive, 2495 Dolly Ridge Trail, 2520 Skyland Drive and 3652 Altadena Drive.