The city will fund the hangar and relocate the property.
Published on Saturday, October 5, 2024 at 9:15am
The City of Andalusia will provide a $200,000 loan to South Alabama Regional Airport to build a new hangar following a City Council vote Tuesday night.
Once built, the new hangar will be leased by Enterprise Rescue, which needs indoor space for helicopter storage. PHI Air Medical and Enterprise Rescue began operations in SARA in February 2024 and employs 17 people.
The total cost of the hangar is $400,000. The city will provide half of that amount as a 10-year loan with an interest rate of 4%.
The council also considered two property issues, including the provision of land within the city’s industrial park to Conecu Sausage and a residential real estate transaction.
At first reading, the city council will consider offering 15 acres of land across Sutton Road to Conecu Sausages, where the company plans to build housing for future workers. The housing complex will consist of two buildings, each with 10 units. A second reading is scheduled for a meeting on Tuesday, October 15, after which the council could vote on the bill.
City officials said the land is small and “not considered development material.”
The City Council voted to exchange the property with Gila Gatewood.
The city will provide Gatewood with city-built housing at 411 Church Street. This house is currently being rented. In exchange, the city will receive four parcels of land along Railroad Avenue.
City Administrator John Thompson said the deal is fair from a fiscal standpoint and will help move forward with plans to alleviate the city’s housing shortage.
“This makes sense and gets us out of a landlord situation. Plus, there are already developers interested in building on these (Railroad Avenue) sites. This is a fair exchange and gives these properties away for more housing. There is still a severe housing shortage. We have come a long way, but there is work to be done. There’s still a lot more to come,” Thompson said.
The council approved the exchange by a unanimous vote.
Other items discussed at the council included:
Approved a request from the Andalusia City School System for $1.5 million in city sales tax funds. This annual request was submitted by Superintendent Dr. Daniel Shakespeare during a pre-city council meeting. This funding will be used by the school board for multiple projects and specific personnel. This includes renovation and maintenance work to the AHS auditorium and stadium. Hire additional education professionals. Funding school art and music programs. Construction of maintenance building. Complete sidewalk projects around AHS. Installing a new PA system in AHS’ new cafeteria. AHS’s new sign. Funding for technology updates. Salary subsidies for STEM programs and interventionists. Approving a new policy manual for the Andalusian Police. Approved abatement of three nuisance properties located on Baker Street, Rankin Street and Cedar Street. Approves changes to the City’s employee benefits training reimbursement policy. The change also includes utility workers who receive training at the city’s expense. Similar to existing policy for police, fire, and other employees, utility employees would reimburse the city for their training costs if they retire within a certain period of time. We heard an update from Bethesda House representatives and asked the city to continue providing annual compensation assistance. The council agreed to provide $40,000 to the nonprofit, matching the amount provided in 2023.
The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 15, at City Hall, with a work session at 5:30 p.m. and a regular meeting at 6 p.m.
