Land Issues Head City Council Meet
Next week, the Piedmont Commercial Development authority will be charged with disposing of three parcels of land, two of which contain large buildings. This was the main topic of discussion at Monday's City Council meeting and the council's work session last week.
The council unanimously voted to suspend the rules and adopt the ordinances Monday. Under voting rules, an ordinance is not considered for adoption on its first reading. An ordinance is necessary to declare city property as surplus.
The first property is on West Ladiga Street and was occupied by Guttery Insurance Agency years ago. There is only a front facade, with the remainder of the property being vacant.
The Commercial Development Authority has been granted permission to give the property to a person or company that submits the most attractive proposal. An invitation to submit the proposal appears in this week's legal advertising section.
According to officials, there are some strict requirements regarding the proposal. One of them is that the construction of the building be completed within a year. If the building is not complete and in operation, the owner will be fined $500 per month until the business opens.
The old City Barn and all the surrounding property will immediately be placed on the market. It includes the buildings housing the office, work area, storage sheds and the surrounding vacant lots. The building and land are located on First Avenue, north of Front Street.
The third ordinance deals with the largest parcel of land and a huge building. The site includes the old Southside School building and the 12 acres of property on the former school campus. Officials say the land and building will be sold as a whole and will be put on the market until sometime in the summer. If it has not sold, the city may ask the Commercial Development Authority to place it on the auction block.
In matters of other city property, City Clerk Bill Fann reported that new leases had been agreed on in the old Piedmont Hospital and Nursing Home building. Shine-N-Stars, a home for children, had originally agreed to pay $2,000 per month for most of the west wing of the building. That amount had been reduced to $700 monthly to help with some financial difficulties.
Fann said the $2,000 is again in force.
There was no change in the $450 monthly lease payments for the medical office of Dr. Maher Gao.
Fann told the council the city had two bond issues with SouthTrust Bank, and the issues had been assumed by Wachovia. He reported that Wachovia had sold the issues to U.S. Bank, but there were some concerns over rates and other considerations. The Alabama Municipal Electric Authority has found that Regions Bank can take its issues to Regions and save money in the deal. Fann said he had contacted Regions for a similar deal for Piedmont.
In other banking matters, a Huntsville bank has refused to sell the Rome Avenue building and equipment formerly occupied by Dr. Tony Davis. The city had offered the deal, but bankers said they had reached an agreement with Dr. Ben Ingram for the equipment, and they are remaining firm on the $41,000 sale price on the building. Dr. Ingram has urged the city to buy the building for future medical expansion.
On another issue, Fann told the council he had inspected the equipment in the Dr. Sam Crawford Clinic building. He said all the medical equipment was in excellent condition, and there was also a great deal of office equipment.
The council discussed two board meetings. The first will be a public meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission to review the first phases of the "comprehensive plan" adopted last year. The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at 5:30 in the council chambers. Fann said it would be the first of several meetings planned for the next 18 months.
The council is looking at two dates next month for the annual "round-table discussion" with the Board of Education.
The only other business discussed at Monday's meeting was approving the payment of $353,601.50 in municipal bills. Of that, $27,176.85 was to the U.S. Department of Energy for electricity and $242,701.32 was for the water, gas and sewer utilities.

Bethune Center: Much More Than A Children's Playground
It may appear from the outside that the Bethune Community Center is just a place for children to hang out and play.
Once inside, it is obvious that the center, a part of the cityıs Park and Recreation Department, is more than just a recreational facility.
It is a place where children learn.
The center offers a place for young people to play basketball, watch television, and play games on the Game Cube and X-Box. It has fooz-ball, ping pong, and pool tables, an exercise mat, and sports equipment available. The children come to play or study or hang out with their friends.
³While they are here, they are learning to respect one another and the adults in their lives,² said Tiny Lewis, supervisor of the facility.
³The kids have to say sir and ma'am when they are talking with adults around here,² chimed in Rita Spear, a three-year volunteer at the center. ³And when the parents come around Tiny makes sure the kids give them the same respect we demand.²
The children also learn the proper way to respond when told ³no.²
Friday afternoon Derek Freeman, an employee of the Parks and Recreation Department, delivered a replacement X-Box to the center. A young crowd ran to Lewis asking to play with the new system. When she told them they would have to wait for the older children to arrive, they quietly retreated to other activities without any argument.
While at the center, children can get help with homework assignments and participate in special activities.
The staff is currently planning a program for Black History Month Feb. 24 beginning at 6 p.m. that will feature the children performing a skit. Frankie Wheeler will be a guest speaker and a meal of ³southern cooking² will complete the event.
³Our computer lab is part of our reward system,² noted Lewis. ³If the children have been good and completed their homework, they are allowed to play games on the computers.
But I limit their time to thirty minutes so everyone gets a chance.²
The reward system works well for Lewis. The large jar of bubble gum goes untouched and the computers hibernate except when she gives the okay.
Overall, Lewis has very few problems with the children.
She makes sure the children understand and follow the rules, which includes signing in and no name calling or fighting. If they donıt follow the rules, she does not hesitate to makes a phone call to the parents.
According to her, it does not happen often.
³They know when they get a call from me that it is serious business,² Lewis said.
³We are pleased that the center is a place for children of all ages to come and have a good time. It helps them stay off the streets and out of trouble,² she said. ³And children come here by choice.²
The number of children who take advantage of the facility varies from day-to-day and month-to-month. During the recent holiday break, Lewis and her staff supervised approximately 70 youngsters in one day. On an average school day, 20-30 children flock to the center. The ages vary from preschool to 20 years old.
It is common for the center to have more than 100 children spend the day at the center during the summer months.
³Yes, there are a few parents that use us as a no-cost babysitting service. But we donıt mind because we know the children are in a good environment,² Lewis noted.
³I love my job, ³said Lewis. ³I wouldnıt trade with anyone.²

Strictly Personal
Dispelling A Myth And Looking At City Business...
It may have taken a while, but the city is getting down to some serious business, and at the same time the local government is receiving some serious criticism. The business will be beneficial to all of us. The criticism is unfounded.
Lets look at the criticism first. I have heard a number of complaints because the city has raised the natural gas rates. Yes, the gas rates are higher, but the city has nothing to do with it. Last summer, when temperatures were warm, and last fall when the weather was balmy, Mayor Charlie Fagan warned of increased gas costs. The higher bills are the result of higher natural gas costs, not any actions of the city.
If you have read a newspaper or seen a TV newscast, the soaring costs of natural gas and petroleum fuel have been the topics of many news stories. It's not just in Piedmont, folks. The higher gas rates are being felt throughout the nation. The city has taken steps to make the increases as small as possible. Utility officials bought gas when rates were lower and stored the fuel in a Mississippi salt mine. The less expensive gas has been mixed with the higher priced fuel that is reaching us now, thereby lowering the cost.
Next year, those who qualify will get a chance to take advantage of levelized monthly billing to lessen the impact
The local utility folks have entered into a contract with a Tennessee company that does nothing but find the lowest prices for natural gas and buy it for its customers.
If you want a reason for the higher fuel costs, I'll give you one. It is called greed. The natural gas suppliers, the pipeline companies and the petroleum industry are bleeding the American public to fatten their coffers. These people own Congress, so don't expect any help from the feds. There are a lot of excuses for the higher fuel costs, but the real reason is a hunger for higher profits and dipping deeper into our pockets. The city has nothing to do with it.
The mayor warned us of the impending increases, and utility officials have done everything possible to reduce the impact of higher prices. City computers have been programmed to offer levelized monthly billing sometime this summer. I commend them for their actions. Without the city's efforts, your utility bills would be even higher.
As to the business, did you know that the City of Piedmont owns more property in this city than any other person or entity? Think of the parks, schools, city buildings, utility sites, the sewage lagoon and many, many others. Folks, that's a lot of land.
In almost every case, the land or building must be maintained, occupied or not. In the case of unoccupied buildings, this is a drain on city money that could be used elsewhere.
Now, however, the council is getting ready to rid itself of this dead expense. One piece of property will be given to the Commercial Development Authority. That authority will award the property to the person or company with the best proposal. The proposal requirements will make the applicants provide information so the authority can determine the financial soundness, business track record and proposed appearance for the building to be put on the property. There is also a time limit on when the building must be completed.
One of the criteria is the amount of tax revenues the business will provide the city. In short, once open, the business will begin replacing a dead loss with positive cash flow to the city. It will also provide a good looking building where a vacant lot now exists. That's good business, because the property was given to the city.
The old City Barn has been vacant since the old Armory building was bought and remodeled for city use. The vacant building will no be put up for sale to a commercial interest. That will be another dead loss converted into a profit for city coffers.
Another example is the old Southside School building. That huge complex stands vacant because of a really dumb council action. The maintenance of that vacant structure could put a strain on city money, but the council has decided to rectify the situation by offering it for sale. If there are no takers, the building will go on the auction block. Again, a deficit will be turned into a profit by this action.
These are not the only properties being eyed by the city, but they offer a good start on changing costly surplus property into funds for city operations. That's good business.