Colony Mayor Donnis Leeth, right, seen here at the Cullman Regional State of the Hospital Luncheon on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018 / W.C. Mann
COLONY – On Tuesday evening the Colony Town Council, which had been dormant since October due to the resignation of two members and the lack of a quorum among the other four on meeting nights, re-established its footing and moved into the business that had been waiting.
Councilwomen Margaret Jamelle Dimbo and Tammy Malcom had previously submitted their resignations, but the lack of a quorum prevented action. At this meeting their resignations were formally accepted, and new council members named:
- Mary L. Parker, Place One, replacing Dimbo as head of Finance Committee
- Samuel Ashford, Place Two replacing Malcom as head of Police and Fire Committee
Mayor Donnis Leeth said of his new council members to The Tribune on Wednesday, “They’re pretty knowledgeable, I respect them, they respect me, and we’re going to move forward with the Colony, now. I’ve got the people that I need in place, and Colony’s going to move forward, and make Colony a place well-known to everybody.”
With the vacancies filled, the newly complete council got down to business.
The council approved a resolution to obtain a bank loan in order to restructure an existing town debt.
The still-to-be-approved budget for FY2018 was tabled in order to give the new council members the opportunity to be sworn in and review the financials, and for the Finance Committee to meet.
The rental rate for the Colony Educational Complex auditorium was reduced from $250 to $150 by unanimous vote.
Leeth reminded members that the due date is Jan. 31, 2018 for filing elected officials’ annual reports with the probate judge's office.
The council unanimously approved a request to pay a Cullman County Road Department invoice for $4,252.
The North Central Alabama Regional Council of Governments (NARCOG) has reduced the hours for senior participants from 19.75 per week to 15. For this reason, the Tom Bevill Library will now be open on Tuesdays, Wednesday, and Thursdays from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., and 9 a.m. to noon on Friday. The library aide, Evelyn Howard, will complete her contract on or about Apr. 5, 2018 so a further reduction in those hours will occur.
After last year’s program success, Colony plans to sponsor its Summer Food Program again this summer. Plans are in the works but have not yet been submitted for approval by the mayor and council.
Colony history program announced
The council announced that on Sunday, Feb. 4 at 3 p.m. a “Celebration of Colony” history program will be held at the Educational Complex. Councilwoman Ethel Alexander and Leeth will be coordinating the event. The council plans to swear in its new members at the celebration.
“For the first time,” remarked Leeth, “we’re going to tell folks how the Colony got established, how the blacks survived back in the day, and we’re going to bring it up from where we started from till now in our generation.”
A Black History program will be held at the same location toward the end of the month. No date has been specified yet.
Air Evac landing site chosen
Leeth told The Tribune early Wednesday afternoon that Air Evac Lifeteam was coming to Colony later in the day to look for a suitable location for a helicopter landing area. A little later, Town Clerk Patricia Ponder informed The Tribune that a site near the town park across Byars Road from the Educational Complex had been chosen.
The Colony Town Council meets at Colony Town Hall on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month, at 6 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
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