The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) has awarded the Andalusia Police Department a $24,000 grant for a new communications system.
The department applied for the funding last fall, and plans to purchase a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system for the police communications center.
Funding was announced by Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday.
This new system will enable communications officers the ability to dispatch the closest officer to a call by choosing the most available officer based on the displayed availability monitored by the CAD system, Chief Paul Hudson said. It also will shorten the response times for calls for service, and provide communications officers with important information to provide to the officers including, call history as related to location, similar incidents or active warrants for service on all calls for service dispatched by the Andalusia Police Department.
“The opportunity to provide better services to our citizens by improving response time, improving officer safety by having the ability to provide officers with call history information will be an asset to our city,” Hudson said. “I’m thankful for the award made by Gov. Ivey and look forward to continuing and improving the work that our department does to protect the lives and property of citizens and visitors through improved technology and training.”
The cities of Ozark and Union Springs, and Geneva County received similar grants.
“Our police officers and sheriff’s deputies often work in highly dangerous situations and deserve the best equipment possible while serving and protecting residents,” Ivey said. “I am happy to assist in the efforts of these law enforcement agencies as they continue to serve their communities.”
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Justice. ADECA manages a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, economic development, infrastructure upgrades, recreation, energy conservation, water resources management and career development.
Andalusia Star News
The South Alabama Regional Airport Authority on Tuesday agreed to enter a short-term lease with Ronnie Kearns, owner of the Kearns Group, for the airport’s twin hangar facility.
Covington County Economic Development Commission Executive Director Rick Clifton said the Kearns Group has an opportunity to do prototype upgrade work on four C130s.
“He would like to do the work here,” Clifton said, adding the aircraft belong to branches of the military.
“This could get the airport some very good exposure,” he said.
Clifton said if the prototype works, it will be installed with 174 more aircraft, and there would be a possibility that work also could be done at SARA.
“We don’t know what this could lead to,” Clifton said.
The Kearns Group has previously leased facilities at the airport, but Kearns and SARA parted company in a disagreement early last year. The debt on the twin hangars, which were built for a company that proposed C130 work here, is carried by the City of Andalusia, the City of Opp, and Covington County. The three entities, along with SARA chairman Gary Smith, have the final say on contracts.
Opp Mayor Becky Bracke attended the SARA meeting and spoke in favor of the lease.
“I’ve tried to step back and look at this as a business. What would I do if I were the one make the decision? We have nothing. No prospects out there,” she said, adding that if it doesn’t work, “What have we lost?
“If it works, there could be spinoffs,” she said. “My opinion is I would give him a chance. What do we have to lose? We don’t have anything in there right now?”
SARA board member Mike Holloway said there is a “lot to gain” by having a tenant in the hangars.
“If we don’t rent it but a day, that’s money the cities and county don’t have to pay (on the debt),” he said.
SARA board members Chuck Burgess and Donald Barton expressed reservations, but ultimately agreed to a short-term lease with a day rate of $850 per day for the entire facility, with an option of renting only half.
In other business, the board:
- Agreed to close its fire station, effective Feb. 1, when Vector Aerospace will no longer require around-the-clock firefighting capability. The station will only be closed once memorandums of understanding previously in effect with the Andalusia, Opp and Sanford fire departments are renewed.
- Agreed to extend a $350,000 line of credit with Southern Independent Bank for an additional six months. The line is currently maxed out.
BOE approves first $9.3M of estimated $12.5M project
The Andalusia Board of Education Monday night approved a $9.3 million contract with Wyatt Sasser Construction for projects at Andalusia High School.
The contract represents the “base bid” for the project which renovates the stadium and the auditorium. If all of the proposed project is done, it is expected to cost $12.5 million.
“Entering a contact allows us to get started,” Superintendent Ted Watson said.
The board wants the stadium project completed by the time football season begins in the 2018-19 school year. It initially was hoped the project would begin in January; now Watson said he hopes work can begin Feb. 1.
“There is pre-construction meeting on Jan. 19,” Watson said. “Our hope is that (state building officials) would allow them to start mobilizations of equipment, and demotion ahead of complete approval of the state building commission.”
There also will need to be a meeting with school officials about traffic flow and safety concerns.
“They’re really anxious (at the high school) about things like Memolusia on Feb. 3, graduation and other events,” Watson said. “As soon as we know something about when (the construction company) can mobilize, we will know more about where things will go.” Read More>
Even as the Andalusia City Council agreed to secure a $7 million bond for construction projects at Andalusia High School, city leaders expressed pleasure that only 57 percent of the total project will be financed.
“I can’t think of another project in the history of this city that has been done this way,” Mayor Earl Johnson said Tuesday night.
The project, which totally renovates the AHS auditorium and football stadium, is expected to cost $12.245 million. The city board of education has entered a $9.3 million contract with Wyatt Sasser Construction for the renovations, and other pieces of the total project will be added as the funding allows.
The 25-year payout is secured with proceeds of a half-cent sales tax inside the City of Andalusia designated for education. For the past two years, the city and the board have set aside $500,000 each year to put toward this planned project.
The bond payments were designed to be approximately $450,000 – or less than the board is accustomed to setting aside each year. The $50,000 difference in what has been set aside and the estimate payment will go into a reserve fund for maintenance.
In addition to the monies set aside from the sales tax, Rep. Mike Jones has secured $1.25 million in state funding, and the Public Education Building Authority (PEBA) has raised private monies for the project. The balance will come from the board’s reserve funds.
Dr. Charles Eldridge, who chairs the PEBA, said in addition to the $500,000 it has raised for the project, he believes they can add $300,00 or more in private monies to the total. Contributions received or pledged to date range from $50 to $150,000, he said.
“From a public perception and political point of view, this is a popular program,” Eldridge said. “People see this as a positive thing, that will improve the quality of life for students, and be a positive draw for people moving to the Andalusia area.”
Leaders of the Covington County Historical Society were pleased with the news that the city is acquiring property adjacent to theirs in the downtown district, which will allow them to expand the Three Notch Museum.
Sue Bass Wilson, a founding member of the CCHS, said the group has “a treasure of artifacts” it is not able to display in its current location.
The current museum building is the converted and restored former Central of Georgia depot, the oldest wooden building in downtown Andalusia (Circa 1900), Wilson said. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The museum’s displays range from Indian arrowheads, tools and weapons to an extensive collection of photographs from the Alatex collection. There are military uniforms; vintage chairs and a spittoon from the courthouse; kitchen items; and medical tools. On the grounds there is a log cabin, the H.B. Little country store, and the River Falls post office.
Wilson said initial talks have included the possibility of restoring the new building to its art deco design of the 1950s, opening the now-covered windows and displaying antique cars there.
A parking lot will be added to provide accessibility to both the current grounds and the new ones.
Wilson said it is expected the city will bring professional museum curators in to work on the project. To date, the CCHS has relied upon volunteers for all of its work.
“Ever since the mid 1980s, we have only had volunteers work with us, so we are very excited to have some professional help,” Wilson said, “It should be a long project, but we are looking forward to expanding and bringing in extra attractions for this great city.”