GOOD HOPE — Good Hope residents may need to be on the lookout for flocks of flamingos congregating in their yards thanks to a new fundraiser for the city’s Sizzlin’ Seniors group. 

Good Hope City Clerk Christie Chamblee spoke about the city’s new “flocking” fundraiser during Monday night’s meeting, and said city residents who make a $20 donation to the seniors will be able to have 50 flamingos placed in the yard of anyone else in the city. 

Anyone who has their yard flocked can pay a little extra for insurance to help out the seniors and make sure their yard stays flamingo-free in the future, she said. 

Chamblee said all of the money raised with the flamingos will go towards paying for the Sizzlin’ Seniors’ future trips and food for their gatherings at Good Hope City Hall on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 10 a.m. 

“We don’t have a full-time senior center, so we fund that ourselves,” she said.

Chamblee also gave a warning to the members of the city council to watch out for the plastic birds coming to their houses. 

“Y’all are going to raise some money from me because I am going to flock some yards, so beware,” she said. 

Anyone who wants to flock someone else’s yard can call Good Hope City Hall at 256-739-3757.

The council also announced the date of this year’s Back to School Bash, which is set for Aug. 5 from 5-7 p.m. in the city’s Municipal Park. 

After the city hosted a drive-thru event last year, Good Hope’s bash will go back to normal for 2021, with attractions like bounce houses and slip-and-slides, along with free hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and drinks for anyone who attends.

City Planner Corey Harbison said the event is open to all ages, from 1-year-olds to 100-year-olds, and welcomed anyone who wants to be with members of their community and help see the city’s kids off into the next school year.

In other business, the council passed a resolution to begin engineering work on the new road that is planned to serve as the new entrance to Good Hope Pharmacy, the Stash House restaurant and a new medical facility.

Good Hope received a $300,000 grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs earlier this year, with the city providing $222,558 in matching funds to cover the full $522,558 cost of the new road coming off of AL-69.

The construction will also feature a deceleration lane for those turning right off of AL-69, and the pharmacy’s current entrance on AL-69 will be closed as part of the new road’s construction.

With the new businesses coming to the area, the Alabama Department of Transportation also wanted a new road to serve as the entrance to the businesses because of the steep incline and low visibility for anyone pulling onto the highway from Lindsey Road, Good Hope Mayor Jerry Bartlett said in May.

“ALDOT seems to think it’s going to be a lot more safe,” he said.