Council passes resolution for funds, seeks candidate for school board

The funding, if approved, would allow the city to expand the sidewalk on Donnell Boulevard, and add a new sidewalk to Warhawk Drive and Highway 85.

The improvements would expand the existing sidewalk on Donnell Boulevard from Daleville Avenue to Tiny Williams Drive. The project would also add a sidewalk on Warhawk Drive and on the east side of Highway 85 from Highway 84 to Bojangles. 

According to the resolution, the city would pay 20 percent of the estimated $340,000 project, as well as engineering costs.

The Transportation Alternatives Program is a new program established under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) signed into law on July 6, 2012. 

The program provides 80 percent of funding for programs and projects defined as transportation alternatives, for a limit up to $400,000. Transportation alternatives include recreational trails, walkways, sidewalks, and bicycle facilities. 

"It's an opportunity we didn't want to pass up," Wigglesworth said. "We still have places where a sidewalk would be appropriate especially around the school, so we could have safe walking routes. It makes a nice entrance putting the sidewalk on both sides of Highway 85 when you make the turn off of Highway 84 and come in to Daleville."

Wigglesworth said the city has had good luck in the past with receiving transportation enhancement program grants and hopes to receive this one, too.  

A second resolution was passed for ALDOT to resurface Highway 84 from the pavement joint east of the U.S. Army National Guard Armory to the Houston County line in Dale County, as well as Virginia Avenue. 

The project is part of ALDOT's annual maintenance resurfacing. 

Wigglesworth said the resurfacing will be at no cost to the city, but requires a resolution for the project to move forward.

The project will be let out for bids May 31 and is expected to begin in July. 

In other news, Wigglesworth announced the council is requesting applications for residents seeking an appointment to the Daleville City Board of Education. 

The council will make an appointment this month and the term will begin in June. 

The appointment is for a five-year term, which expires in 2018. 

The board of education operates the free public schools within Daleville. Board members must be a resident of the city.

For those interested in applying, contact Daleville City Hall at (334) 598-2345.

The council also approved and/or announced the following:

• Council members approved a travel request for Daleville Department of Public Safety Officers Sgt. Brad Meissner and Sgt. Jason Grantham to attend secure technics for onsite previewing basic cell phone investigations and GPS integrations training May 20-24, in Phenix City.  The total cost for the trip is $674.
• Wigglesworth was appointed voting delegate for the Alabama League of Municipalities Convention May 18-20.
• Daleville was awarded the Silver Risk Management Award for 2012 from the Alabama Municipal Insurance Corporation. The company awards members who have instituted risk management and loss control activities to reduce their loss ratio. Daleville's loss ratio for worker's compensation for 2012 was between 5 and 20 percent, earning the city the Silver Risk Management Award.

The Daleville City Council will meet again at 5:30 p.m., April 16, at Daleville City Hall.