HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Hanceville Mayor Kenneth Nail took the opportunity at Thursday afternoon’s city council meeting to thank the citizens of the city for their support. Qualifying for the Aug. 25, 2020 Municipal Election ended Tuesday, and Nail has no challengers, guaranteeing him four more years as mayor.
“I want to say that I appreciate the confidence the citizens have in me to be their mayor for the next four years,” said Nail. “I am not perfect and I will make mistakes, but I will try my very best. I don’t think there is anybody here that will doubt that I care and love this town and I will try my very best.”
Other incumbents with no challengers are Councilman John Stam (Place 2), Councilwoman Kim Brown (Place 3) and Councilman Jim Sawyer (Place 5). The council passed a resolution that Stam, Brown and Sawyer, as well as Nail, will retain their seats without opposition.
Councilman Jimmie Nuss (Place 1) is being challenged by Joyce Barnett, while Councilman Charles Wilson (Place 4) will face Patty Nail Dean.
Dean, sister of Mayor Nail, addressed the council: “I guess you noticed the ‘Nail’ in the name. Kenneth is my brother, of course, but don’t think that ‘sister,’ should I get elected, is going to be a rubber stamp. I’ve got my own mind.”
She added, “I chose to run because I love this town and I have strong connections to this town. The reason I chose to run now was because, as a mother and a wife, I just did not have the time. I have it now. I’m by myself. I am stepping outside of my comfort zone, and those of you that know me know that this is out of my comfort zone.”
The council also tended to business pertaining to the municipal election by passing a resolution approving election officers. The officers approved are:
Beat 3, Box 1- Hanceville City Hall
- Inspector Youvon Sharp
- Clerk Ricky Cason, Sr.
- Clerk Burma Graves
- Clerk Sherry Ponder
Beat 3, Box 2- Hanceville Civic Center
- Inspector Ed Heaton
- Clerk Celia Ward
- Clerk Kenneth Crowe
- Clerk Scott Sams
Alternates
- Elaine Perkins
- James Perkins
- Margie Burkhart
- Eddie Burkhart
- Jane Tolbert
The City of Hanceville received the expected $188,300 from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (through the CARES Act). At its last meeting, the council discussed the requests for needed equipment from the City’s department heads. The council approved the following purchases:
Hanceville Police Department- $40,288
- Car Computers $34,200
- Dispatch & Booking Desktops/Setups $3,700
- Mask Cartridges (PPE Equipment) $2,088
- iPad $300
Hanceville Fire Department- $27,585
- Laptops/Setups $12,500
- Masks and Filters (PPE Equipment) $935
- Lift Chair/Stair Climber $8,150
- Repeater $6,000
Hanceville Public Works- $6,300
- Repeater $4,800
- Laptop and Printer $1,500
Courts- $3,100
- iPads (2) $600
- Laptops/Setups (2) $1,500
- Printers (2) $1,000
Records- $5,000
- Laptops/Setups $4,000
- Printers (2) $1,000
City Hall- $46,450
- Phone System $30,000
- Server $8,000
- Laptops/Set ups (4) $6,400
- Printers (3) $1,500
- Walls (2) $550
Courtroom
- Microphones, recorder, screen $10,000
Library
- Walls (4) $1,100
The total of all approved purchases is $139,823. The remainder of the money will be kept in the General Fund.
Hanceville Public Works is close to completion of the drainage project to grade and fill the large drainage ditch off U.S. Highway 31 North between McDonald’s and Warehouse Discount Groceries. The council reported the project is coming in lower than the estimated $50,000, which will be reimbursed by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA).
“I’ve gotta ring the bell for Public Works,” said Nail. “That has probably been the biggest project that Public Works has ever done.”
Nail said he anticipates, after speaking with architect Tim Burney, that bidding for the new senior center will begin as soon as next month.
Planning is underway for the annual Hanceville Kids’ Night Out event, which is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 14.
“I anticipate that we will have it that night,” the mayor said. “We will probably highly recommend kids wearing a mask, and we will have lots of hand sanitizer. We are going to be very aggressive with that sort of thing. It’s a personal choice. If you don’t want your kids to come, then don’t come. We are going to be very aggressive and have people at every station. If your kid goes in there and does the jumpy, when he gets out, we will make sure the kid gets hand sanitizer.”
The council also approved changing future city council meeting times. Starting at the next scheduled meeting, Aug.13 at Hanceville City Hall, work sessions will begin at 5 p.m., followed by meetings at 5:30 p.m.
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