During July the city of Foley awarded three bids on projects costing $338,414 for work on city recreation fields and a parking lot at the municipal complex. Many of the recently approved sidewalk and lighting projects have begun installation.

REALTED ARTICLE: Foley Continues Sidewalk Expansion Within City

In recreation, the city will pay Harris Contracting $118,000 for LED lighting for a soccer field and $14,000 will go to Johnson Well Drilling for a well and pump at the same soccer field. R&S Paving won a contract with the lowest of four bids received to resurface the parking lot at the Foley Event Center for $206,414.

The Foley City Council will review the bids at the August 19 joint regular/work session at 4 p.m. in council chambers at city hall. During the meeting session, the council will:

• Have a public hearing on whether structures at 1810 S. Cedar St. are a public nuisance and need repair or demolition and consider allowing city employees to enter the property to clean it up. 
• Receive a July tax collection report showing $3.8 million was in sales taxes for the month or about $158,000 over budget projections. July was again the highest in sales tax collections this fiscal year, ending Sept. 30. In lodging taxes, the city took in $291,229 or about $15,000 more than budget projections.
• Receive a report on police activity in July showing 262 inmates were processed through the jail in July and there were 15 arrests for theft, 15 for shoplifting and nine for simple assault domestic violence. Officers were dispatched for service 2,238 times in July.
• Receive a report from the fire department showing crews responded 57 times for a medical assist, 54 times to assist an invalid, 33 times for traffic accidents with no injuries, 14 times for traffic accidents with injuries and 10 times for aircraft standby. Crews were dispatched and canceled en route 26 times.
• Receive a report from Community Development showing 18 building permits were issued for single-family homes with a valuation of $5.9 million and four for multifamily permits with a total of 14 units at Cottages at Wyld Palms with a valuation of $2.1 million. One new commercial permit was issued for Creekside International Speedway amusement park with a valuation of $320,000.
• Review a report of approved and paid bills for July showing the city paid out $10 million to vendors and service providers for the city.
• Consider giving a franchise to Hotwire Infrastructure Group to provide broadband cable and internet services in the city.
• Discuss authorizing the sale of .039 acres of right of way owned by Riviera Utilities along County Road 65 to the county for $8,867.
• Consider two liquor licenses for Colt Grill at 118 W. Laurel Ave. and Foley Liquor at 3814 S. McKenzie St.
• Discuss adopting a comprehensive safety action plan for the city.
• Discuss transferring $104,428 from the police personnel account to the capital project account. The agenda item did not say what the money is to be used for.
• Consider approving an agreement with the Mobile County Commission’s highway safety office for overtime reimbursement for Foley officers to participate in the community traffic safety program during fiscal year 2024-25.
• Consider declaring several guns seized or recovered as surplus and donating them to the forensic sciences department.
• Discuss additional funding for Baskerville-Donovan’s phase one road access management plan for Miflin Road adding $20,000 to the project cost.
• Consider raising lease rates for T-hangars at the airport and approving the lease of new T-hangar units at the new rate.
• Discuss renewing the city’s stop lost reinsurance with Symetra Stop Loss.
• Consider moving $23,992 from the police personnel account to the operating account to pay for ammo.
• Discuss accepting a proposal from Engineering Design Group for phase two of the North Cedar Street project from Fern Avenue to Peachtree Street.
• Consider several board reappointments including Gregg Knight to the Board of Adjustments and Appeals, David Vosloh to the Foley Education Advisory Committee and Barbara Ingram to the Riviera Utilities Board. The council will also consider appointing James Shoots to the Foley Education Advisory Committee.
• Discuss setting a public hearing to declare weeds at 1207 N. Alton St. a public nuisance and ordering its cleanup.
• Discuss accepting an additional $5,200 from the state from the Alabama Tourism Department to help create jobs in the tourism industry.
• Consider accepting a grant of $10,000 from the Friends of the Foley Library to purchase lounge chairs.
• Discuss a resolution amending current fiscal year budgets. No other information was provided with the agenda.