COLONY, Ala. – The Colony Town Council on Tuesday evening was pleased to share that its outstanding debt to Compass Bank for a 2012 court judgement has been cut almost in half in less than six months.
The debt stemmed from a loan taken out to finance the construction of bathrooms at the town’s park.
Town Clerk Patricia Ponder explained, “Morris Fitts- he took office in 2012- refused to pay the debts of the Earline Johnson administration. Compass Bank froze the bank accounts. He sued them and lost. This is the judgement for the amount of the debt plus their legal fees that’s been hanging on since 2012.”
The 2012 court judgement left Colony with an outstanding debt of more than $50,000 in addition to the original defaulted loan. In May 2019, the outstanding balance of the judgement sat at $47,712.04. Since May 31, the Town has been able to pay $23,000 toward the debt, bringing the total to only $24,712.04, just over half of the amount from May, on Dec. 1. Under its current plan, the Town will have the debt completely paid off Sept. 1, 2020.
Former Mayor Vernon Fields, who served before current Mayor Donnis Leeth, renegotiated the original loan during his administration to a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage on which the Town pays approximately $571 per month. Once the judgement amount has been paid off, Ponder hopes to increase the amount of money the Town pays toward the principal of that loan, in order to expedite that process.
Previous controversy revisited
In the public comments portion of the agenda, the council heard from the local resident who had rented the Educational Complex for her child’s birthday party, and who had been allegedly asked to leave early for another person who wanted to use the complex but had no contract. She claimed that Councilman Curtis Johnson came to her party and asked her to remove her decorations and leave early, telling her “he’s over the parks and rec, and what he says goes.” She told the council that she had to pay her party planner extra to come back early and remove the decorations.
Johnson responded by claiming that he had talked that morning with the contracted renter, and she had agreed to do so. When the renter argued that Johnson had claimed authority over parks and recreation even above that of the mayor, he responded that he is “not a person like that” and that “someone is not telling the truth somewhere.”
After both sides had their chance to speak, Leeth spoke. He told the council and audience that the council should not have gotten to the point it reached at the last meeting. Taking time to point out the accomplishments of his administration including the new Dollar General, storm shelter and food bank, looking forward to plans for a fast food restaurant in the community near the interstate, and pointing out how much of his own time and money goes into Town business, he offered to step down as mayor if anyone wanted him to.
The council affirmed its support for the mayor.
Other business
Leeth reported that the community’s Dollar General is doing quite well, saying the store is constantly busy and that a company representative had said it was “the best Dollar General they said they ever put in Cullman County.”
Councilwoman Ethel Alexander reported that she will attend a two-day grant writing workshop in Huntsville this week, with a view toward getting grants for improvement and historical preservation projects around Colony. Alexander shared that among her first goals would be the restoration of the Masonic hall, among the town’s oldest still-standing buildings.
Leeth proposed that the Town try to reopen the gym Jan. 15, 2020. He directed Johnson to contact local plumbers to get estimates for repairs to the damaged water line that led to the closing of the gym.
Leeth also instructed Ponder to place an advertisement for a part-time worker to clean the town hall and Educational Complex.
The Colony Town Council meets in work session at 5 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month, with its regular meeting following. The public is invited to attend.
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