Mayor outlines 2014 successes in ‘City of Progress’

“It has been a remarkable year in 2014, we hope that the same will transpire in 2015.”

With those words Enterprise Mayor Kenneth Boswell outlined the city’s successes of last year and the goals for the next in his annual State of the City address to the citizens.

Boswell said that all aspects of a community play a vital role as the Department of Defense looks—and re-looks—at which military installations to relocate or close as the possibility of an upcoming Base Realignment and Closing looms.

One of the main categories considered in a BRAC selection is how the surrounding community supports military forces, missions, and personnel, Boswell said. Citing education for military family members,

Boswell said that Enterprise City Schools Superintendent Dr. Camille Wright and the board of education had approached the city in 2014 requesting assistance with funding.

After multiple meetings, work sessions and a pubic hearing, the city council increased the sales tax from 8.5 percent to 9 percent. The city then took out a $20 million bond issue, allocating $16,681,000 of that to the schools, Boswell said. The city also forgave the $550,000 obligation from the school system to the city that was to begin in 2015.

Boswell said that when the 2009 and 2014 bond issues are paid off, 70 percent of the tax increase would remain with the city and 30 percent would go to the school system.

As part of the agreement, the city would assist in the funding of upgrades to the schools, which include safe entrances, storm shelters, and construction of a new junior high school.

In exchange the city would acquire Bates Memorial Stadium, College Street Elementary School and the Enterprise Junior High School land.

Boswell said that the city plans a $1 million upgrade to Bates and will possible use the decommissioned College Street School as a museum. Once the demolition of Enterprise Junior High is complete, the city will maintain the land as “green space.”

Enterprise continued to grow in 2014, Boswell said, noting that the Enterprise Chamber of Commerce held two groundbreakings and 27 ribbon cutting ceremonies.

The Enterprise Celebration, a gospel and Christian concert brought more than 2,000 to Bates Memorial Stadium. A Fanaticon-Comic/Animation Conference held at the Enterprise Civic Center had 900 attendees from 55 cities in10 states.

The civic center had 67 functions in the auditorium and 19 meetings in the north wing last year, Boswell said, adding that 45 events have been scheduled for 2015. Housed in the civic center complex, the Senior Center is used every day.

The Enterprise Parks and Recreation Department, under the direction of Billy Powell, hosted 23 tournaments with 505 teams in 2014, Boswell said. The approximately 7,500 participants in tournament play was up some 1,500 participants from 2013. “Tournaments are a force multiplier,” Boswell said. “Those numbers do not include family members.”

The 5- and 6-year-old Enterprise Dixie SweeTees won the state tournament and represented Alabama in the World Series in Bay St. Louis, Miss.

The 18 and under Dixie Debs won the state tournament in Enterprise and represented Alabama in the World Series in Atoka, Tenn. “When you see our children, tell them how proud we are of them” he said. “They make great ambassadors for the City of Enterprise.”

Parks and Recreation Department staff renovated the fences at Donaldson Park, resurfaced the tennis courts and installed new LED message boards at the rec center and the civic center.

The city teamed with the Enterprise Bark Park Committee to start a dog park at the Johnny Henderson Park. “We have a great partnership with that committee, and with the Enterprise Rotary Club, which provided sun shades at the children’s playground.”

Boswell said the annual Children’s Festival in the Park was one of the largest, with some 6,000 attending.

The Water Works Department, under the direction of Field Superintendent Alan Mahan, rehabbed Well #2, rehabbed water lines on Coppinville Road and in the 100-200 block of Morgan Lane.

Water Department personnel also installed irrigation around city hall. For the first time in 33 years, the city received a Fluoride Award.

Boswell had high praise for Brent and Elizabeth Cook who helped the city acquire a new facility to house the central fire station. The couple sold the old Action Auto building on Plaza Drive, which was appraised at $576,000, to the city for $75,000. “It’s citizens like them and the people in this room that make us what we are,” Boswell said.

The Plaza Drive station will house dorms, additional equipment, the ladder truck, central fire office staff and classrooms.

The space freed up by moving the central fire department out of the city hall building will allow city hall upgrades to begin, Boswell said. Those upgrades are expected to extend the life of the building by 30 years and allow at least 25 percent more space.

Boswell said that Director of Engineering Services Michael Walters and his staff addressed 123 nuisance properties last year, mitigating 112 of them. That department completed the Automated Weather Onsite System and Precision Approach Pathway Indicator projects at the airport.

Also at the airport, hangar leases and the standard operating procedures were upgraded.

The fire department, under the direction of Fire Chief Byron Herring, completed a two-year process of GPSing all the fire hydrants and water valves in the city, Boswell said. The department replaced extrication equipment and installed computers in all front line engines.

The fire department purchased a new AFR truck for the airport and took delivery of a new fire truck.

The Enterprise Police Department, under the leadership of Police Chief T.D. Jones, purchased 10 new vests and new tasers with grant money. All officers received a minimum of 12 hours of continuing education and all officers completed firearms training.

The interview room at the police department was completed last year and is in use and the department is testing the use of body cameras for the law officers.

Public Works Director Ray Bickley and his staff are 95 percent complete in their quest to locate all of the manholes city wide, Boswell said. They also repaired storm drains, pipes and sewer mains throughout the city and repaired the city railroad crossings.

The public works department has helped construct the Farmer’s Market on Main Street, Boswell said. It will be a diversified building that can be used as a distribution point during bad weather, an education center, as well as a farmer’s market, Boswell said. “It will be a very nice addition to the city and a great asset to the citizens of Enterprise.”

The Human Resources Department, with Christina Meissner as director, implemented an online job application and processed 833 job applications from June 2014 to December 2014. The department also conducted citywide sexual harassment training.

“Being able to implement new fire stations, hiring new first responders, dispatchers and things of that nature, not only that, but upgrading Bates Memorial Stadium are just some of the things that lie ahead,” Boswell said. “We will continue to work hard everyday, get up early and stay late to try to make those things come to fruition.

“We hope that we’re as blessed in 2015 as we were in 2014,” Boswell said. “Only time will tell—all we can do is work hard and try to accomplish everything we can.”