By Adam Smith

The North Jefferson News



The dream of an expanded public library in Gardendale got a step closer to realization this week.

Mayor Kenny Clemons announced during Monday’s city council meeting that the Gardendale Martha Moore Public LIbrary had received $300,000 in state grant funds for planned renovation and expansion efforts. The City of Gardendale will also have to provide $300,000 as part of the matching-fund grant.

Sen. Scott Beason, R-17th and Rep. Allen Treadaway, R-51st, were on hand at Monday’s meeting to present a check to library director Connie Smith and Clemons.

Clemons thanked Beason and Treadaway for their efforts in helping secure the state funds for the project.

“Allen and Scott stepped forward by going to committee meetings and talking to individuals on the [grant] committee,” Clemons said. “I don’t know how many cities applied, but we were very fortunate to get what we got.”

The $1.5 million expansion of the library has been planned for some time. Smith said preliminary plans for the library were made about two years ago and architects provided the city with renderings of the building.

The library is one of the most used in the state, a fact that Smith owes to the multitude of services it also provides.

“As times have changed, it’s not just books anymore that the library offers,” she said. “The library is an invaluable thing for those who don’t have Internet or who can’t afford to go to a store and buy the books they need.”

Additionally, the library offers a way for residents to send faxes, find income tax information or take part in language learning programs.

Smith said including the state grant, the library has about $350,000 in funds so far. The library sells coffee and used books to go toward the project and also received about $10,000 from Magnolia Festival proceeds two years ago.

Clemons said a bond issue may have to be passed to fund the city’s portion of the grant funds. However, he said it’s too early to know how the city will approach the issue.

In other business, the city council:

• opened bids for the sidewalk construction project on Odum Road

• appointed Clemons and Councilman Wendell Phillips as voting delegates to the Alabama League of Municipalities convention, to be held May 17-20

• approved a new beer and wine license application for the Gardendale Fuel Depot, located at 2408 Decatur Hwy.

• authorized an amnesty day on July 11 for failure to appear cases pending in Gardendale Municipal Court. Police Chief Mike Walker told the council the day will allow those who have failure to appear warrants to come to court and pay a fine in lieu of going to jail.

• approved a right-of-way easement on property owned by Gardendale Fifty, LLC. The measure will allow developers to build a road that will tie onto a proposed road connected Odum and Mt. Olive roads. Clemons said the work would by done to the city’s specifications at the developer’s expense. Clemons said on Tuesday that the city is also advertising for bids on the connector road.

The city council will meet again on April 21 at 6 p.m.