Foley, Ala. – (OBA) – The city of Foley has submitted a project grant from the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation program for $600,000 for land acquisition along the southeast portion of the Graham Creek Nature Preserve along Russian Road.

The Foley City Council will meet at 4 p.m. on April 17 in a joint work/regular session in council chambers at city hall.

The grant would require a $600,000 match from the city to be used with GOMESA and Restore Act funding.

“The city's project application has been submitted to the state forester and he has submitted our application prior to the April 14 deadline,” a memo on the agenda states.

During the meeting, the council will discuss:

• Issuing a proclamation designating May as Mental Health Month in Foley.

• Issuing a proclamation designating April 30-May 6 as National Small Business Week in Foley.

• Congratulating two Foley-area businesses on winning small business awards. In the rural-owned business of the year the winner Christina Woerner McInnis of Soilkit by AgriTech Corp. in Foley. Sydney Cody of Vanguard Pacific of Foley won the veteran-owned small business of the year award.

• Monthly reports on tax revenue for the month of March. In sales taxes, Foley collected $2.7 million compared to $2.5 million in March of 2022 and about $300,000 over budget projections. Six months into the fiscal year city collections are about halfway to last year’s total of $36.9 million with the busy summer months ahead.

• A monthly report on lodging taxes where the city collected $136,722 in March or about $20,000 more than March 2022 and about $50,000 above budget projections.

• Local gas taxes collected in March totaled $40,912 about $9,000 over March of 2022 and about $5,000 down from budget projections.

• A report from Community Development showing it issued 42 single family residential building permits with a valuation of $6.6 million, 10 for duplexes with a total of 20 units with a $2.8 million valuation and two for multi-family buildings with a valuation of $2.2 million and containing 16 units. No new commercial building permits were issued in March.

• A report from the Foley Fire Department detailing activity for March including 50 medical assists, 45 motor vehicle accidents with no injuries, 16 accidents with injuries, 47 invalid assists among a total of 251 incidents.

• The monthly report from Foley Police Department showing 216 inmates were process through the city jail in March and officers were dispatched for 2,663 service calls. Reported crimes include 21 arrests for controlled substances, 18 thefts, 11 calls for simple assault domestic violence and six death investigations.

• A report detailing expenditures by city during March totaling $5.9 million.

• A resolution to buy a washer and dryer for corrections and approving the surplus of the current equipment.

• Authorizing thinning of trees in the southwestern section of the Graham Creek Nature Preserve and using the money made “to assist in further development of the preserve.”

• A resolution to reappoint Randy Arp to the construction board of adjustments and appeals. He has served since May of 2018 and his new term will expire on May 11, 2028.

• Agreeing to a lease with Boss Hawg Investments for space for the city’s ice distribution equipment. The building was bought by new owners and the lease is with them. There would be no impact on the budget.

• Approving installation of 20 street lights along South Juniper Street between East Pride Drive and County Road 20 for a cost of $4,409. The city would also have to pay a monthly rate of $10 per pole or $200 a month.

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• A resolution setting a public hearing declaring weeds to be a public nuisance at 303 N. Beech Street and ordering its abatement.

• Amending a resolution buying four humidifiers from Fastenal to instead purchase them from Sylvane. Fastenal didn’t have the equipment in stock but Sylvane does.

• Approving an investment policy for the city “which will ensure maximum security with sufficient liquidity to meet daily cash flow demands,” according to the agenda item.

• Eliminating the position of Natural Resources Specialist in the Nature Parks Department and authorizing an additional Parks Ranger I position “to help with the maintenance of the park and programming.” The NRS position may be needed in the future as more property is added to the city’s park lands.

• Approving bids let in March including concrete work to James Brothers Excavating, a bid to NCIC for inmate phone and video calling kiosks and newsletter printing and mailing services to Fusebox.

• Eliminating the vacant position of Finance Supervisor and instead hire an accounts payable clerk which is an immediate need to help with the workload in the Finance Department.

• Reappointing Donald Wenzel Jr. to the museum archives board for a term that will end on May 12, 2026. He has served on the board since May of 2014 and is currently the chairman.

• Approving an application for a grant from the Alabama Public Library Service $50,000 for a self-check machine and computers to be used in the library. The city match would be $12,500 if the grant is awarded.

• Awarding a contract of $102,654 to Volkert for an environmental assessment for the site of the new Foley Public Library. The city received $2 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development which requires the assessment before disbursing the grant money.

• Making four purchases for the Street Department to help with sidewalk maintenance. Those include a stand-on blower for $15,000, a MT 100 mini-track loader for $45,000, a Ranger Crew 1000 Premium UTV to replace two Gators that are past their useful lives and Ventrac tractor for edging curbs and gutters for $35,000.

• Annexing six tracts of land in the area of Sandy Ridge Road area north of U.S. 98 and west of County Road 65 into the city of Foley.

• Approving the application for a Community Oriented Policing Services de-escalation grant in the amount of $250,000. There is no match requirement and the deadline to apply is May 24.

• Authorizing the sublease of space the city leases adjacent to the Holmes Medical Museum. The current owner is selling Gypsy Java Queen coffee shop to an employee who wants to continue to operate the business in the same space.