Greensboro’s City Council held its first meeting of the year on Tuesday night, Jan. 10.
Council members voted to pay $61,598.00 towards the municipal workers compensation fund, which will be the city’s 2023 contribution to the fund. This covers the city for any workers’ compensation claims which may occur throughout the year.
Councilmembers will travel to Hanceville on Feb. 9 for the first of four Alabama League of Municipalities- sponsored economic development academy sessions. The first quarterly session will be held at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville starting at 9:30 a.m.
The council also heard reports from the city’s various department heads.
Interim Chief Willie Lewis is heading up Greensboro Police Department following the departure of former chief Michael Hamilton, who is the newly-elected Sheriff of Hale County. Lewis said things were moving slowly with his department.
“We’re short [staffed], but we’re doing the best we can,” said Lewis. He noted that neighboring counties had recently endured violent incidents and urged Greensboro residents to be cautious in light of the situation. “Be careful, watch your surroundings,” he reminded citizens.
Aaron Evans, the city’s Streets and Sanitation supervisor, said his department had mostly been handling general cleanup duties around the town, in addition to removing a few downed trees resulting from severe weather.
The council also received a revised contract submitted to them by the city’s Parks and Recreation Board regarding the Board’s lease of the Greensboro Recreation Center, the former National Guard Armory building.
Councilmembers heard questions about that facility at their last December meeting when representatives and supporters of the Greensboro Boys and Girls Club came to ask why the club, which is housed in a building located next to the GRC, had suddenly been barred from the use of the GRC’s gymnasium and restrooms. The Club had been built adjacent to the GRC with the idea that it would have continued access to those facilities.
“When do we discuss this about the GRC contract?” asked Councilmember Bobbie Curtis. “When are we going to discuss [it]?”
Mayor J.B. Washington said the contract was “just proposed. We’ll get with them on that.”
Curtis asked the council for a workshop before the next meeting to discuss the contract. Councilmembers voted to set a workshop on Monday, Jan. 23 at 6:00 p.m. for that purpose. The council’s next scheduled meeting will be Tuesday, Jan. 24.
