The City of Foley will discuss awarding a bid to begin renovations at the old Armory behind the city hall complex at its Jan. 23rd in the council’s joint work/regular session at 4 p.m. in council chambers. The council is meeting on Thursday because of the Martin Luther King holiday and the severe winter weather forecast for Tuesday.

The bid is for the construction portion of the work the city has planned for the building, a memo from City Administrator Michael Thompson states. Currently, the budget calls for $1.85 million, but Thompson is asking for another $150,000 for a total of $2 million for the project.

Foley accepted only one bid in December for $131,060 for Beulah Heights LED upgrade and retrofit awarded to Bill Smith Electric. Besides the armory bid another was let in December but not yet awarded. The second bid was for a Justice Center roof and its price range was from $990,000 to $1.3 million.

During the joint regular/work session, the council will also:

• Hear two presentations, from Foley High School to honor the recent School of Excellence Award and Foley Main Street’s annual report.
• Discuss the fiscal year 2025 budget showing the city expects to generate $72.4 million in revenue in the general fund budget, expenses of $60 million with $12.4 million left over minus one-time expenses that may crop up during the Oct. 1, 2024-Sept. 30 2025 fiscal year.
• Review a report showing the city paid $7 million for goods and services from Dec. 1-31.
• Accept a report showing Foley collected $3 million in sales tax in December, slightly less than collections in December 2023 and about $300,000 below budget projections. In lodging taxes, the city collected $114,691 about $3,000 more than in the previous December and $3,000 more than budget projections.
• Review a December report from Community Development showing Foley issued 24 permits for single-family homes valued at $7.5 million, three multi-family buildings with a value of $16.5 million and two commercial permits valued at $2.9 million.
• Accept a December report from the police department showing 256 inmates were processed through the city jail with the highest number of prisoners at one time being 43. For the calendar year of 2024, Foley processed 2,901 inmates, spent $62,133 on food and had $117,955 in medical expenses. Police made 17 arrests for shoplifting, 16 on other theft charges and 13 for simple assault domestic violence. Officers were dispatched 2,000 times in the month.
• Accept a December report from the fire department showing crews responded 53 times to assist invalids, 44 times to assist EMS crews, 31 times to motor vehicle accidents with no injuries, 26 times for smoke or fire alarms and 31 times crews were dispatched and canceled en route. Crews responded to 251 incidents in the month.
• Have an introduction of an ordinance to annex property into the corporate limits owned by Delaney Investments. Both of the tracts – one 190 acres and the other 525 acres – are to be part of Cresswind Foley near the intersection of Pastoral Lane and Foley Beach Express.
• Approving buying two trucks from Rivera Utilities including an F550 bucket truck for $60,000.
• Approve the application submitted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Coastal Zone Management Habitat Protection and Restoration Competition through NOAA.
• A lease agreement for auxiliary parking at 200 W. Laurel Ave.
• Contributing $500 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mobile’s rubber ducky race at OWA on March 22.
• Approving the purchase of a new backhoe for Parks and Recreation for $126,991 from Thompson Tractor and declaring an aging backhoe as surplus.
• Accepting a Library Service and Technology Act grant of $30,000 to help purchase a $60,000 vehicle for the library.
• Approving the fiscal year 2025 Dollar General grant application for summer reading.
• Waiving fees for the use of Heritage Park and Pavilion on March 6-8 for the South Baldwin Chamber’s annual BBQ and Blues Cook-off.
• Approving the use of Heritage Park by Jehovah's Witnesses to display free literature.
• Amending a franchise agreement with Hotwire Infrastructure Group to use public right of ways.