The West Point Town Council met Monday evening. / Nick Griffin
WEST POINT – The West Point Town Council met Monday night for its monthly meeting after rescheduling its session last week. After a prayer and the pledge of allegiance, the meeting got underway with a statement from a representative of the West Point High School tennis team, Tim Garner.
Garner was at the meeting to make a request regarding payments on the lights for the tennis courts. Garner asked for money to help pay the light bills due to the amount of time the public spends using the courts. The tennis team uses them three months out of the year but the public uses them year-round. West Point Mayor Kenneth Kilgo agreed with Garner and the council voted to pay $1,500 toward helping the tennis team make payments on the lights.
The bulk of the meeting took place after the council entered a public hearing to discuss the ongoing Alabama Highway 157 extended deceleration/turn lane project. The lane is planned for the eastbound side of the highway as it approaches the County Road 1242 intersection where Jack’s is located. The entire project is expected to cost $200,000, with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) committing $100,000 and other sources committing $60,000. All other costs are the responsibility of the developer. The Town of West Point will have to cover engineering and permit costs associated with the project, which is currently estimated to be $20,000.
Kilgo called the project “the most important project for the community since the sewer project.” Kilgo was referring to the town’s sanitary sewer system that began developing in 2009 and current plans to expand that system. Everyone on the council agreed they are committed to doing whatever they need to do to get the lane built. The Town is now waiting for more numbers to come in from the state and the developer.
The next discussion involved the addition of a street light on County Road 1243. The council agreed that the area is dangerous for those using it as an extension of the running and walking path and so they agreed to discuss the topic further at their next meeting.
The last item on the agenda was the addition of a community billboard at the intersection of County Roads 1141 and 1242 near the location of the West Point Family Medical Clinic that is currently under construction. Some of the council members expressed concerns over the billboard being a distraction for drivers and its potential effect on visibility so they agreed to discuss it more in depth at their next meet as well.
The West Point Town Council meets on the third Monday of each month; the next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 16.
- Mayor: Kenneth Kilgo
- Town Clerk: Joann Jones
- Town Attorney: Dan Willingham
- Park/Maintenance Director: Wesley Laney
Council Members-
- Park and Recreation: Darion Daniel
- Streets and Roads: Frankie Jones
- Mental Health: Gerald Schafer
- Homeland Security: Michael Hall
- Fire Department: Timmy Smith
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