Allen making drainage a hot topic at council
By Arthur McLean

Council member Charles Allen again took the opportunity at Monday night's council meeting to raise the issue of storm water drainage.

Allen presented a letter complaining about drainage on Noble Avenue and other parts of the city that was mailed to city officials in 2001. "We still haven't responded to this letter," he said. "When will we stop telling our citizens about plans and get plans in hand?" Allen asked for a priority list to be made of drainage projects and that the city get to work on them. "I'm asking this body - we seriously consider other things the citizens want to do…it makes it appear there's a disparity with who we help," he said.

Mayor Sheldon Day said he has already contacted the engineering company working with the city to start looking into the issue, but he wants the former county engineer to provide drawing he was making before his retirement.

Day also said the city has applied for storm water grants to begin working on the problem areas but those applications were turned down. But Day agreed that the city needed to more forward in the near future.

"I agree with what you're saying, but we can't get a priority list in two weeks, and probably can't in 30 days," Day said.

Economic development

The council heard a report from planning and economic development director Debra Fox on the planning and development office's activities since its formation.

Fox reported to the council that her office is working with the Alabama's Communities of Excellence program and is working with community leaders to develop a strategic plan as part of the city's application for certification in the program.

The development and planning office is also working on updating the city's web site and has lined up a private investor to help finance the construction of a shell building in the south industrial park. A possible tenant for the building has also been identified.

Fox told the council that the date for the next supplier conference will be Sept. 14, and that interest in Thomasville from commercial developers was still strong.

In addition to Fox's report, the council approved a building permit for Hong Kong buffet, a new restaurant planning to go into the North Chase shopping center.

Other business

In other business, the council approved the hiring of Toby Knight and David Bennett as full-time police officers in the Thomasville Police Department pending successful completion of police training. Both Knight and Bennett were reserve officers with the force.

Ruby Hightower's hiring as a clerk at the Thomasville Public Library and Ken Spinks hiring as a maintenance person for the city was also approved.

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