WEST POINT – A regular West Point Town Council meeting was held on Monday night, and the biggest topics of the night were the new fire station and storm shelter, as well as the Alabama Highway 157 turn lane project.
Coming soon to the old Doris Diner location on Highway 157 are the new West Point Volunteer Fire Department station and Community Storm Shelter No. 2. The fire station is tentatively scheduled to be finished by the end of July. The storm shelter is expected to be complete by the end of June.
West Point Mayor Kenneth Kilgo met with the town’s fire chief to discuss the progress on the new fire station. The West Point Volunteer Fire Department contracted with Randy Powe of Powe General Contracting, LLC to pour the foundation of the new station. Kilgo said he requested that Powe go ahead and pour the foundation for the storm shelter, but it wasn’t possible.
Safety Shelter, the company responsible for the new storm shelter, claims they have to be the ones to pour the new pad due to special specification; however, this was not the case when the company installed the first shelter for the town.
Discussion began on the Alabama Highway 157 turn lane project. A meeting will take place on Wednesday morning, April 20, between Kilgo, the Alabama Department of Transportation and the developer. Kilgo encouraged all of the council members to attend.
The town is hoping to secure the turn lane to attract developers off Highway 157.
PALS Community Cleanup is slated for Saturday, April 23. A dumpster will be placed in front of the park’s maintenance building, which will be out of the way of the baseball crowds at the park. PALS supplies bags. Anyone who needs bags should come by town hall to pick them up.
A tractor belonging to the County is being transferred from the Town of Colony to West Point. According to Kilgo, he met with Joe Perry, head of the County’s maintenance department, and was told that the tractor had been sitting unused for three years until the County picked it up and serviced it. Since then, the tractor has sat unused for another two and a half years. Kilgo met with County Commissioner Garry Marchman, who said he would notify County Commission Chairman Kenneth Walker that Marchman approved the transfer and have the tractor taken to West Point.
The council discussed the State’s decision to keep the State Surplus Store in Eva open. It was scheduled to close last year, but will remain open the remainder of the year.
West Point Park Maintenance Director Wesley Laney and Councilman Darion Daniels were praised for all of the hard work and time they put in at the ballpark.
The West Point Town Council meets on the third Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at West Point Town Hall. Meetings are open to the public.
