The town of Garden City quietly reopened its River Park, which provides access to the Mulberry River, Thursday, June 6, after the completion of significant renovations.

The revitalization effort was the result of a 2020 lawsuit filed against the Tyson owned River Valley Ingredients after an estimated 200,000-800,000 gallons of wastewater was spilled into the Black Warrior River in 2019. Half of the $3 million settlement agreement from Tyson was earmarked to benefit local communities effected by the spill.

Sen. Garlan Gudger and former Representative James Fields both sat on the settlement funds oversight committee and announced the River Park cleanup project, along with the creation of an access point to the Mulberry in the town of Colony and the renovation of an existing access point near the Sipsey Fork in Walker County, in June 2022.

The town has coordinated with the office of Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and scheduled a ribbon cutting ceremony for the park next month, July 24, but opted to open the park last week after construction was completed.

The newly opened park now features a kayak boat launch, a revitalized walking trail and on-site restroom facilities. The riverbank itself has also been stabilized with large boulders.

The town approved on Monday, June 10, for primitive camping permits to be issued to those looking to stay at the park overnight. Permits can be obtained at Garden City Town Hall Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. with the following fees:

— $25 for one night.

— $60 for three nights.

— $100 for five nights.

The town’s renovation project planned for Roland Johnson Parkway was put on pause Monday, after both bids it received came in over budget. Town Clerk Amy Black said the project would consist of resurfacing the roadway from its intersection with U.S. Hwy. 31 to the Mulberry Bridge and the installation of a new drain pipe at the intersection with County Road 532.

Black said the town will now rework the specifications of the project and plans to reopen the bidding process in the near future.

In other business the town:

— Announced its annual Freedom Celebration would be held Sunday, June 30, and allocated a budget of up to $3,500 to fund the event.

— Approved its 2023 Annual Water Consumer Confidence Report.