Pinson council forms committees for youth sports transition, farmers’ market

The Pinson Council has formed a new committee to oversee the transition of the city’s youth sports programs, and another to govern its farmers’ market.

The two groups were established at the council’s regular meeting last Thursday.

The city is taking over operation and maintenance of the Pinson Valley Youth Association fields on Faucett Cutoff Road, after having aided the association financially over the past few years. The facility will now fall under the new city parks department, headed up by director Mike Sullivan.

The city owns the parks, and leased them to the PVYA in the past. With Pinson taking over, the lease will be terminated on July 1.

The new task force is “to assist in the development of a strategic plan for youth league sports within the city,” according to the council resolution.

Sullivan will serve as chairman of the group. The members include Councilman John Churchwell, Kevin Campbell, Amber Clay, Jason Lambert, Derrick Ambrose, Randall Terry, Rev. Torrance Sims, and Mykal Thomas. Members were chosen in an effort to represent all sports in the association.

Mayor Hoyt Sanders said that other members may be added to the task force.

The council also named a three-member steering committee for the farmers’ market, consisting of Barry Wilson, Herbert Terry and Noel Sanders. The committee will meet monthly during growing season, and quarterly in the rest of the year.

The council took several measures related to the city’s fire protection.

A grant of $20,000 was approved for the Palmerdale Fire Department to help purchase land. It’s similar to a grant the council made to the Center Point Fire Department a few months back, to help with the purchase of land for a new station.

The council also approved a grant of $500 for the Glenwood Volunteer Fire Department, which serves a small portion of Pinson made of recently-annexed properties.

“I think $500 in that particular fire department would go a long way in helping those guys out,” Councilman Joe Cochran said.

The council also approved a revised contract for the services of Fire Marshal Matt Angelo, who is also a captain with Center Point. Pinson was paying one-fourth of his contract, along with the cities of Clay and Center Point, but will reduce that to one-eighth because Pinson doesn’t use Angelo’s services as much as the other two cities.

The council also approved a request from Pinson Elementary School that their annual $12,500 grant from the city be given in kind by paving a portion of the school’s parking lots.