By Adam Smith

The North Jefferson News



The Jefferson County Board of Education is a little better off this week, thanks to a gift from the City of Gardendale.

At Monday’s city council meeting, the council voted to authorize a contribution of $350,000 to the board of education to be used for school projects in the city.

Mayor Kenny Clemons said the donation, which was not in the council’s budget, played a role in the city not participating in last weekend’s sales tax holiday.

“We felt like we had the best prices and most folks shopped in our city,” he said. “This way, it will go directly into the schools.”

Clemons said the contribution would likely be used for field projects related to the new high school and for a proposed visitor’s side field house for the high school stadium. The facility would also be shared by Bragg Middle School.

The city already contributes to the schools through providing crossing guards, grass cutting, field maintenance and annual donations directly to the schools.

In other business, the city council also heard an update on a road connecting Odum and Mt. Olive Roads.

Gardendale Public Works Superintendent Jeff Holliyan said the road would be paved in about two weeks and that the project should be finished up in about four weeks.

At the meeting, the council also:

• passed an ordinance to annex property, located at 300 West Shugart Ridge Road, into the City of Gardendale.

• reappointed members to the Downtown Redevelopment Authority (Glenn Gardner), Inspection Appeals Board (Jerry McAnnally) and Utilities Board (Jerry Swafford)

• changed the time of the Aug. 18 city council meeting from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. to accommodate an election forum to be held at the Gardendale Civic Center at 6 p.m.

• appointed election officers for the 2008 municipal elections and to authorize their compensation. Those officers include:

Chief Inspec-tor/Supervisor: Sharon Wade

Ward 1: Inspector, Patricia Higgins; Registration List Clerk, Doris Nayman; Poll List Clerk, Kate Sellers; and Ballot Clerk, Anna Salter

Ward 2: Inspector: Hazel Butts; Registration List Clerk, Doris Barnette; Poll List Clerk, Emily Mathews; and Ballot Clerk: James Mayfield

Ward 3: Inspector: Brenda Parker; Registration List Clerk, Betty Arnold; Poll List Clerk, Nancy Mayfield; and Ballot Clerk, Lee Minor

Ward 4: Inspector, Bula Garner; Registration List Clerk, Janet Evans; Poll List Clerk, Betty Fines; and Ballot Clerk, Kathleen Burleson

Ward 5: Inspector: Jill Ingram; Registration List Clerk, Elton Griffin; Poll List Clerk, Nadine Boatright; and Ballot Clerk, Louie Pearson

Travis Turner, Earl Garner, Celia Davis and Gwendolyn Kelley were appointed absentee election officers.