Two members added to Gardendale’s revived utilities board

Published 10:30 am Friday, May 8, 2015

[Due to technical difficulties, this article has been posted again.]

The Gardendale City Council has added two new members to its revived utilities board.

Charles Allen and Paul Thomas were appointed to the board in Monday’s regular council session. They join Council President Stan Hogeland, Mayor Othell Phillips and Councilman Greg Colvert to complete the five-member board.

The council reinstated the dormant board last month, as part of the ongoing negotiations between the city and the Fultondale Gas Board. Those negotiations have been at a standstill since the gas board’s franchise agreement expired, and the two sides have not been able to agree on a new deal. Gardendale officials have said on several occasions that they might be willing to switch providers if the impasse can’t be broken.

The appointments were part of an agenda of otherwise routine business items, which included:

• declaring 23 city-owned items as surplus, to be sold online at GovDeals.com

• promoting Blake Green from part-time to full-time laborer in the Parks and Recreation Department, and hiring Wesley Felix to fill Green’s position

• annexed properties at 5467 and 5665 Violet Drive

• presented an award of appreciation to James Whitlow for 20 years of service on the Zoning Appeals and Adjustments Board

• presented certificates of appreciation to several members of the Gardendale High School football team for their help with a recent community cleanup day

The next council meeting will be held on May 21 at noon. It’s being moved from the normal third-Monday slot because of a conflict with the Alabama League of Municipalities convention.