Walking trails could expand
Published 4:00 am Wednesday, July 29, 2015
A $100,000 grant could expand the popular walking trails at the Troy Sportsplex.
City officials on Tuesday approved the application for the $100,000 recreational trails grant, along with a $20,000 local match.
Parks and Recreation Director Dan Smith said the Recreation Center’s current walking trails receive a lot of use from the public and the expansion of the 1.1-mile trail to be well received.
“It’s very popular early in the morning, and I know a lot of people who go year round and use it early in the morning,” Smith said. “We get many compliments on what a nice trail it is because you can see the surroundings and the woods.”
The project would extend the trail to the soccer complex, creating a loop around those fields.
“We feel it would be a very popular addition if we were awarded the project,” Smith said.
City officials on Tuesday also addressed reports of sinkholes and road failures at the Troy Municipal Airport, contracting with Goodwyn Mills and Cawood to survey the current drainage system at the airport.
Al Allenback and Michelle Conway, both of Goodwyn Mills and Cawood, met with councilmembers Tuesday and explained that safety concerns had arisen from the drainage issues at the airport.
“A couple of these areas are close to the primary runway, and they range from 6 to 10 feet wide and more than 4 feet deep,” Conway said.
The company will develop a plan and priority list for addressing the areas of concern, and Conway said the company would subcontract assessments of the drainage system. “They would come out and take cameras and go through every single pipe, so we can go through the footage and find out where your problem areas are.”
Troy Mayor Jason Reeves said some of the pipes had been installed in the WWII era during in the mid 1940s.
Conway said up to 90 percent of the project could be funded through a federal grant, with the Alabama Department of Transportation matching 5 percent and the city matching 5 percent. The project cost is estimated at $52,917.
In other business:
• The council also approved a request from Chad Thrash and Dirt Road Entertainment to allow for the selling of alcoholic beverages at a country music concert featuring Sister Hazel Aug. 7 and 8 at the Pike County Cattleman’s Complex. Thrash said multiple security measures would be put in place to ensure no alcohol will be sold to minors.
“We will have a double hand stamp for anyone under 21 that will be checked at the doors by security guards,” Thrash said. “We will have wristbands for anyone over 21.”
• The council also approved a special event license for Cirque Millennia, which will take place at the Cattleman’s Complex Thursday, July 30.
• The council denied a request from Vivint or Arm Security for door-to-door sales. The city’s code of ordinances requires any business or individual to come before the council to request a permit from the city. The request was denied based on the council’s previous practices of not allowing door-to-door solicitations.
• The council also approved the city’s nomination of Debra Stell to the Board of Equalization.
• The council also approved the minutes from the previous council meeting and moved forward Ordinance 354 for the amendment of the construction codes.