Council members donned matching T-shirts Tuesday evening. The shirts were donated by new Councilman Julian Fields, and read "Do It Right the First Time."
COLONY – The Colony Town Council met Tuesday evening. Councilwoman Myra Twitty was absent; all other Council members, plus Mayor Donnis Leeth and Town Clerk Patricia Ponder, were present.
During their working session before the meeting, council members discussed two upcoming events in the community
On Thursday, Jan. 12, at 11 a.m. the Highway 91 Homemakers' Club will hold its monthly meeting at the Colony Educational Complex. An outgrowth of home demonstration clubs from the 1940s and 50s, the club meets monthly and hosts speakers. It also holds fundraisers and donates to various charities. The club rotates its meetings around different locations through the year, and has chosen to come this time to Colony.
On Thursday, March 2, a severe storm awareness and weather safety conference will be held at the Educational Complex, led by representatives of the National Weather Service’s Huntsville office. The event is sponsored by NWS Huntsville, the Cullman County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and the Town of Colony.
The regular meeting opened with an invocation. Following that, the minutes of the last meeting were approved without discussion.
Committee reports followed. Police and Fire, Streets and Drainage, and Sanitation and Utilities brought no reports. Councilwoman Jamelle Dimbo reported for the Finance committee that the town budget is not yet complete. Councilman Curtis Johnson reported for Parks and Recreation on the Christmas break opening of the game room and community center, and stated that he is getting information to purchase a new stove for the Educational Complex kitchen.
The council went on to discuss a few other matters of business. Councilman Julian Fields spoke about his plan to ride around town and survey the condition of streets and signage. Leeth added to that the continuing problem of certain residents leaving yard debris in ditches and alongside roads, and spoke with Fields about meeting with those residents.
Johnson reported that, due to low attendance and usage, the Community Center will temporarily close. It will re-open later in the year. Additionally, the Community Center's maintenance man/groundskeeper will be temporarily laid off while the center is closed. Dimbo pointed out that this will be a good time for needed cleaning and repairs at the center.
Ponder addressed the matter of ethics training for new council members, stating that the training is required and that failure to complete training within the specified time can result in a $1,000 fine. She said that the training can be completed online at the library.
When the floor was opened for public comment, an audience member asked how many storm shelters the town has. Leeth replied that Colony currently has one dedicated shelter, plus agreements with the Baptist and Methodist churches for use of their facilities. He is requesting two more shelters from the County.
Before adjourning, Leeth announced that the Cullman County Sheriff's Office has donated a white Dodge Durango SUV to Colony, and that it should arrive this week. The vehicle has already had all Sheriff's Office insignias removed, and will be marked with the Town of Colony seal. It will be a general-use vehicle for town business.
The Colony Town Council meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 6 p.m. at Colony Town Hall. The public is invited to attend.
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