20-02-2025
Second phase of Sixth Avenue streetscape project approved
Feb. 20—The Decatur City Council this week approved the second and most visible phase of the Sixth Avenue beautification project, which will begin this spring, and also upped the pay for the next mayor and council members.
The City Council voted 2-1 to approve the $8.07 million contract with Grayson Carter & Son Contracting Inc. for the streetscape project at Monday's meeting. Councilmen Hunter Pepper and Kyle Pike were absent.
The aim of the $10 million project is to beautify and improve the safety of the 1-mile stretch of Sixth Avenue between the Hudson Memorial Bridge and Prospect Drive Southeast at Delano Park.
The project includes moving utilities underground, new sidewalks, landscaping and traffic signals. Cement barriers will be installed that would change traffic patterns and eliminate three left-turn lanes along the route.
Moving utilities underground was the first phase, and Council President Jacob Ladner said the next phase would likely begin in April.
The project is expected to take about 18 months, city Director of Development Dane Shaw said.
Councilman Carlton McMasters said he supports the project, but pointed out his concern is they make sure the city can easily care for the planned landscaping.
Councilman Billy Jackson voted against the resolution. He has been against the project since the beginning.
A $7.15 million bond is funding most of the proposed project, with the remaining $918,901 being funded with a combination of a state grant and city funding.
With the help of state Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, the city received a $640,000 Transportation Alternatives Program grant from the Alabama Department of Transportation to help with the project.
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Election raises
A unanimous City Council approved raises for the next mayor and City Council when their term starts in November.
State law requires the council to set the pay for the council and mayor six months before the municipal election.
The council approved increasing the mayor's salary by 7%, council president's pay by 32% and council members' pay by 31%.
Mayor Tab Bowling, who is not seeking reelection, makes a $106,631 annual salary, with a $5,700 car allowance. The approved resolution raises the mayor's annual salary — including car allowance, which doesn't change — to $120,000.
The council president's annual pay increases from $18,127 to $24,000, 20% of the mayor's salary. The rest of the council members' pay goes from $15,995 to $21,000.
"The group just felt like we needed to approve the raises for various reasons," Ladner said. "One, there's a lot of work involved and trying to keep up with the requirements of the job. There's also the candidate pool. We want more candidates to come in and run for those positions. Maybe if there's more pay there, you get more and better-qualified candidates."
Chief Financial Officer Kyle Demeester, who was absent Monday, presented the proposed ordinance change at a called meeting the council held last week. He said the increases put Decatur's city officials in line with other like-size cities in the state.
Decatur's mayor and council salaries have not changed since 2012. The Gary Hammon-led council increased mayor and salaries by 3% and set these pay rates for a four-year term.
Previous mayors and council members received 2% annual raises, beginning in 2008.
However, these city leaders could and often did decline the raises as city finances struggled because of the recession that began in 2008.
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