Just a quick note to wish everyone a very happy new year. I think many of us are ready to leave 2008 behind given the tough economic times we've seen this year. Despite the negative outlook for 2009, I do believe Guin has exceptional leadership in place to not only get us through these difficult times, but to help us prosper and grow. We are well positioned to take advantage of growth opportunities that may come along as the economy turns the corner.
My hope and wish is that 2009 brings about exciting and happy times for not only our community, but for each and every one of you. Our next city council meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 5th. I'll have another post outlining current business at that time.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
City News - December 15, 2008
Merry Christmas to all! The City Council held the last business meeting of 2008 this evening. There was a short agenda this evening with only two topics of old business which needed discussion or action. The first order of business was to resolve some questions relative to the proposed use of RPS for our ambulance service. The management team from RPS was unable to attend this evening, so we tabled any discussion until the first meeting of 2009. At that time, we'll have both RPS and our current provider, Northwest Hospital, available to resolve any questions or issues with the services they provide.
The final order of business was to take action on a annual one time payment given to city employees. While this has traditionally been approved for our employees as a Christmas time supplement to their salaries, we had to take a closer look this year at the city's financial picture to determine if it was feasible to release such payment. The finance committee reviewed our situation resolving that if any payment would be made, it would have to be reduced from last year's amount. That amount was equal to one week's salary of each employee. So, tonight, Elaine Junkin motioned that each full time employee receive a $200 one time payment, while part time employees would receive a $50 supplement. The motion gained a second, but was voted down on a 4 - 3 vote. Those voting for the proposal were Mayor Segraves, Elaine Junkin, and Phillip Garrison and those against were myself, Cerell Metcalf, Boozer Pinkerton, and Gary Randolph. Mineo Lindsey had to leave the session early in preparation for the lead role in his church musical and was not present for the vote. For me personally, this was the hardest decision I've ever made as a council member given the effect it would have on people I consider friends and employees who deserve much more than what the city can afford to pay them. We have a great workforce in the city of Guin and, by no means, is my vote a reflection on their performance. It was strictly based on the financial situation of our city and the economic conditions we're currently facing. It is my hope that this is a short term problem and we can continue this payment again next year.
In other news, the city accountant gave us an update on the budget cuts our department heads have proposed for 2009. Overall, we're looking at a projected $100,000 reduction in expenses over the next year. The details of those reductions are still being finalized and will be presented at a later date.
Finally, I again wish each and everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy, Safe, and Prosperous New Year. This is my favorite time of year. God has blessed me and Heather with wonderful families and so many close friends that we get to spend time with during the holidays. I wish you all the same blessings. See you next year and Roll Tide! ;-)
The final order of business was to take action on a annual one time payment given to city employees. While this has traditionally been approved for our employees as a Christmas time supplement to their salaries, we had to take a closer look this year at the city's financial picture to determine if it was feasible to release such payment. The finance committee reviewed our situation resolving that if any payment would be made, it would have to be reduced from last year's amount. That amount was equal to one week's salary of each employee. So, tonight, Elaine Junkin motioned that each full time employee receive a $200 one time payment, while part time employees would receive a $50 supplement. The motion gained a second, but was voted down on a 4 - 3 vote. Those voting for the proposal were Mayor Segraves, Elaine Junkin, and Phillip Garrison and those against were myself, Cerell Metcalf, Boozer Pinkerton, and Gary Randolph. Mineo Lindsey had to leave the session early in preparation for the lead role in his church musical and was not present for the vote. For me personally, this was the hardest decision I've ever made as a council member given the effect it would have on people I consider friends and employees who deserve much more than what the city can afford to pay them. We have a great workforce in the city of Guin and, by no means, is my vote a reflection on their performance. It was strictly based on the financial situation of our city and the economic conditions we're currently facing. It is my hope that this is a short term problem and we can continue this payment again next year.
In other news, the city accountant gave us an update on the budget cuts our department heads have proposed for 2009. Overall, we're looking at a projected $100,000 reduction in expenses over the next year. The details of those reductions are still being finalized and will be presented at a later date.
Finally, I again wish each and everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy, Safe, and Prosperous New Year. This is my favorite time of year. God has blessed me and Heather with wonderful families and so many close friends that we get to spend time with during the holidays. I wish you all the same blessings. See you next year and Roll Tide! ;-)
Monday, December 1, 2008
City News - December 1, 2008
There were several items on the agenda for tonight's meeting. In new business, Mike Knight and another gentleman approached the council for permission to organize unified public prayer meetings within the city during one day of each month. Those meetings are currently going on in neighboring communities and are scheduled for 10 A.M. on the second Saturday of each month. The council unanimously agreed to allow those meetings within the city and on city property if they so choose.
In old business, we took action to alleviate the shortfall the city's endured related to garbage pickup. The council decided unanimously to increase rates across the board. Residential and business customers will all see an increase of $4 per month, while the minimum fee for special pickups will increase to $15 from $10. Councilman Pinkerton also proposed that we place $1.25 per customer per month in a fund which will be used for maintenance costs related to our current truck and to purchase a new truck when it's appropriate. That proposal was also accepted, but will not go into effect for one year to allow the city to recover some of the shortfall we've seen in recent years. It is a goal of this council to become as efficient as possible to minimize or eliminate the need to borrow money for such projects. Mr. Pinkerton's proposal is a step in the right direction.
In other old business, we accepted a proposal from RPS (Regional Paramedical Services) to provide ambulance service to the city of Guin. This service includes stationing an ambulance inside the city limits which will serve the citizens of Guin and surrounding communities. The service comes at no cost to the city. RPS will man the truck with two people at all times including at least one certified paramedic. They will deliver to the hospital of the patient's choice given they are stable enough to do so, but will deliver to the closest hospital when that's not the case. Their service would also provide us with an additional ambulance as needed if the primary truck is on a run. If they can't get a backup to a location quick enough, they can and will call on other local companies to provide coverage as needed.
In other news, we tabled a proposed annual one time payment to city employees to allow the finance committee an opportunity to review our current finances.
Our current administration just completed their first month on the job and I want to personally thank each and every member for the work that's being done to move Guin forward. It's been a pleasure, thus far, to work with a group of people who really have the best for Guin in mind.
One final note, please remember that Guin's Christmas Parade will be next Monday. I encourage all civic groups, churches, athletic teams, etc.. to take part in the parade. If not, please make plans to be downtown next Monday to watch and enjoy.
In old business, we took action to alleviate the shortfall the city's endured related to garbage pickup. The council decided unanimously to increase rates across the board. Residential and business customers will all see an increase of $4 per month, while the minimum fee for special pickups will increase to $15 from $10. Councilman Pinkerton also proposed that we place $1.25 per customer per month in a fund which will be used for maintenance costs related to our current truck and to purchase a new truck when it's appropriate. That proposal was also accepted, but will not go into effect for one year to allow the city to recover some of the shortfall we've seen in recent years. It is a goal of this council to become as efficient as possible to minimize or eliminate the need to borrow money for such projects. Mr. Pinkerton's proposal is a step in the right direction.
In other old business, we accepted a proposal from RPS (Regional Paramedical Services) to provide ambulance service to the city of Guin. This service includes stationing an ambulance inside the city limits which will serve the citizens of Guin and surrounding communities. The service comes at no cost to the city. RPS will man the truck with two people at all times including at least one certified paramedic. They will deliver to the hospital of the patient's choice given they are stable enough to do so, but will deliver to the closest hospital when that's not the case. Their service would also provide us with an additional ambulance as needed if the primary truck is on a run. If they can't get a backup to a location quick enough, they can and will call on other local companies to provide coverage as needed.
In other news, we tabled a proposed annual one time payment to city employees to allow the finance committee an opportunity to review our current finances.
Our current administration just completed their first month on the job and I want to personally thank each and every member for the work that's being done to move Guin forward. It's been a pleasure, thus far, to work with a group of people who really have the best for Guin in mind.
One final note, please remember that Guin's Christmas Parade will be next Monday. I encourage all civic groups, churches, athletic teams, etc.. to take part in the parade. If not, please make plans to be downtown next Monday to watch and enjoy.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Thank You En Evant Study Club!
I want to thank the En Evant Study Club and their junior counterparts, the Leas(sp?), for the wonderful dinner this evening. The food, as always, was amazing. Each year, they honor our community leaders and volunteers with a dinner cooked by their members. While En Evant was the honoring group this evening, the services they provide our community are just as important as those who they recognized tonight. As I've talked about many times, it's so important to have a community which is willing to go the extra mile to move Guin forward and that's what we have here.
On a personal note, Heather and I found out yesterday that we're having a little baby girl. She is due in April and will be named Ava Kerrington Bellew.
On a personal note, Heather and I found out yesterday that we're having a little baby girl. She is due in April and will be named Ava Kerrington Bellew.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Guin's New Administration Sworn In To Office
Tonight, Marion County's Circuit Clerk, Sheila Bozeman, swore in your newly elected administration for the four year term beginning November 1, 2008. We then carried out the organizational meeting making several required appointments and establishing our rules of procedure. The following appointments were made and unanimously agreed upon by the council:
Chairman Pro Tem - Elaine Junkin
NW AL Gas Board Member - Mayor Phil Segraves
Police Chief - G.B. Blaylock
Fire Chief - Eddie Gunter
City Clerk - Norma Nelson
Court Clerk - Terri Dennis
Bank Deposits - Wachovia
Special Accounts - State Bank and Trust
City Attorney - Jerry Hester
We also agreed upon using Robert's Rules of Order as our model for meeting procedure. There was one amendment, though. We agreed that agendas will be established before the meeting and any changes requiring action would be approved by majority vote before the meeting begins. This will help us keep order and will allow everyone the opportunity to be properly informed of items requiring our attention.
I sincerely believe we now have a council which is willing to work together for the betterment for our city. I look forward to the exciting and challenging opportunities we'll face over the next four years. Thank you again for entrusting me to this position. I'll continue to use this outlet as a two way discussion on the issues facing our city. Please feel free to pass on your concerns publicly through the blog's comment section or privately at bobbybellew@gmail.com.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Guin Park and Rec Haunted House
Guin Park and Rec are putting on a Haunted House at the National Guard Armory in Guin. The cost for entrance is $6. Children 12 and under will need a parent or guardian with them for entrance. The hours of operation are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday this week from 6:30 - 11 P.M. and Saturday from 6:30 until all patrons have been served. Please make an effort to get out and visit and encourage others to as well. I have had the pleasure of helping with the constuction and can assure you that it's well worth the $6 you'll pay to get in.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Journal Record Article On October 6th Council Meeting
The Journal Record's Saturday edition has an article outlining our most recent City Council meeting. You can check it out at http://www.myjrpaper.com.
As always, remember the on-line Journal Record articles are not archived and will be unavailable for viewing when the next edition is published.
As always, remember the on-line Journal Record articles are not archived and will be unavailable for viewing when the next edition is published.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Journal Record Article On Guin's 2007 Census Numbers
Wednesday's Journal Record has an article outlining the Mayor's efforts to challenge Guin's 2007 census figures and why those numbers are so important. You can find the online version at http://www.myjrpaper.com.
Please remember the Journal Record has no archive feature and the current newspaper will be replaced when the next edition is published.
Please remember the Journal Record has no archive feature and the current newspaper will be replaced when the next edition is published.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
City News - October 6th, 2008
After last night's city council meeting, we're now down to one meeting left in this administration. There was not a lot of business on the agenda, but we did take action on one item.
The Marion County Commission requests funding each year from each municipality to help with resources they provide to the county. The amount requested is determined by population numbers with the larger municipalities taking on the larger portion of the funding. It should be noted that the County Commission takes on approximately half of the funding and the municipalities split the other half. The funding requested of Guin is as follows:
Communication - $21,548.15
Drug Task Force - $11,480.43
Emergency Management - $3127.99
Communication is primarily for the base communications of the entire county. The Drug Task Force is self explanatory. Unfortunately, we have used their services much more that we'd like here in Guin. The cost involved in the cleanup of these labs alone would run into tens of thousands of dollars per year per municipality without the service provided by our Drug Task Force. The Emergency Management Agency provides our county with those services needed during disasters of any kind.
The City Council agreed to fund our portion of these appropriations given the services they provide and the criticality of those services. The appropriations will be paid monthly rather than in a one time lump sum payment.
The other item on the agenda was old business related to the total cost the city incurs for our garbage service. Over the last several years, we've seen significant increases in our per ton use of the transfer station, fuel surcharges, environmental fees, and several other increases associated with providing this service. Given those increases, the city has to find a way to cover the shortfall we've seen in recent years associated with this service. There are a couple of options on the table for covering that shortfall including rate increases or contracting the work out. We have tabled action on this item until the next meeting so we may have a complete understanding of the issue.
Notes of Interest:
The Marion County High School volleyball team is ranked number 10 in the latest state high school volleyball poll for 1A. Amy Parker and her kids have been very successful in recent years in a sport which is fairly new to our high school. If you get an opportunity, please take time to go out and support these ladies.
The Marion County High School football team plays at home Friday night against Parrish High School. The team is very young this year and is taking it's lumps in a very competitive region for football. Please take time to go out and support these young men. They work very hard each week and need our support.
Missy Miles has completed the mural downtown behind our city fountain. She has done amazing work and has really improved the aesthetic quality of our downtown area.
An access road is currently being built into our industrial property along Interstate-22. Work should be completed in the coming weeks. This road will be an important recruiting tool as we look to bring industry to Guin.
Please encourage those candidates who still have signs up around town to remove them. Signs can be very helpful during a campaign, but those candidates also have a responsibility to clean them up when the campaign ends. We should all want our city to be beautiful and attractive to our citizens and those who visit. These signs take away from that beauty.
The Marion County Commission requests funding each year from each municipality to help with resources they provide to the county. The amount requested is determined by population numbers with the larger municipalities taking on the larger portion of the funding. It should be noted that the County Commission takes on approximately half of the funding and the municipalities split the other half. The funding requested of Guin is as follows:
Communication - $21,548.15
Drug Task Force - $11,480.43
Emergency Management - $3127.99
Communication is primarily for the base communications of the entire county. The Drug Task Force is self explanatory. Unfortunately, we have used their services much more that we'd like here in Guin. The cost involved in the cleanup of these labs alone would run into tens of thousands of dollars per year per municipality without the service provided by our Drug Task Force. The Emergency Management Agency provides our county with those services needed during disasters of any kind.
The City Council agreed to fund our portion of these appropriations given the services they provide and the criticality of those services. The appropriations will be paid monthly rather than in a one time lump sum payment.
The other item on the agenda was old business related to the total cost the city incurs for our garbage service. Over the last several years, we've seen significant increases in our per ton use of the transfer station, fuel surcharges, environmental fees, and several other increases associated with providing this service. Given those increases, the city has to find a way to cover the shortfall we've seen in recent years associated with this service. There are a couple of options on the table for covering that shortfall including rate increases or contracting the work out. We have tabled action on this item until the next meeting so we may have a complete understanding of the issue.
Notes of Interest:
The Marion County High School volleyball team is ranked number 10 in the latest state high school volleyball poll for 1A. Amy Parker and her kids have been very successful in recent years in a sport which is fairly new to our high school. If you get an opportunity, please take time to go out and support these ladies.
The Marion County High School football team plays at home Friday night against Parrish High School. The team is very young this year and is taking it's lumps in a very competitive region for football. Please take time to go out and support these young men. They work very hard each week and need our support.
Missy Miles has completed the mural downtown behind our city fountain. She has done amazing work and has really improved the aesthetic quality of our downtown area.
An access road is currently being built into our industrial property along Interstate-22. Work should be completed in the coming weeks. This road will be an important recruiting tool as we look to bring industry to Guin.
Please encourage those candidates who still have signs up around town to remove them. Signs can be very helpful during a campaign, but those candidates also have a responsibility to clean them up when the campaign ends. We should all want our city to be beautiful and attractive to our citizens and those who visit. These signs take away from that beauty.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
City News - September 15, 2008
Very short agenda tonight with only two items discussed.
Due to increased costs over the past year and the Solid Waste and Recyclable Materials Management Act, the rate per ton for using the Little Creek Transfer Station is increasing by $2.61 per ton, plus additional environmental fees and fuel surcharges. While there was no action taken on this issue tonight, this was passed on to the finance committee for further investigation on the true cost to the city.
The only other item on the agenda was to resolve to be included in Governor Riley's promotion called The Year of Alabama Small Towns and Downtowns. We did approve such resolution. The idea is to promote a homecoming weekend in which former residents or visitors are invited to return, walking tours of the city will be lead, a historic marker paid for by Alabama Tourism will be unveiled, and a civic project of some sort will be dedicated. There will be other activities yet to be determined, but the event may coincide with Mayfest. With Governor Riley expected to visit several of the cities participating, this could be a great way to promote our beautiful city.
Unfortunately, I was traveling for work and missed our previous council meeting, but here are the issues discussed at that meeting.
A resolution from the Retirement Systems of Alabama was passed to allow a one time lump sum payment for our retirees costing the city $1729.00.
Additionally, a resolution was passed allowing us to apply for a grant which would provide a walking trail from State Bank and Trust to the rear of the elementary school along the creek. This application is dependent upon the properties' land owners approval to allow us an easement for such project.
Due to increased costs over the past year and the Solid Waste and Recyclable Materials Management Act, the rate per ton for using the Little Creek Transfer Station is increasing by $2.61 per ton, plus additional environmental fees and fuel surcharges. While there was no action taken on this issue tonight, this was passed on to the finance committee for further investigation on the true cost to the city.
The only other item on the agenda was to resolve to be included in Governor Riley's promotion called The Year of Alabama Small Towns and Downtowns. We did approve such resolution. The idea is to promote a homecoming weekend in which former residents or visitors are invited to return, walking tours of the city will be lead, a historic marker paid for by Alabama Tourism will be unveiled, and a civic project of some sort will be dedicated. There will be other activities yet to be determined, but the event may coincide with Mayfest. With Governor Riley expected to visit several of the cities participating, this could be a great way to promote our beautiful city.
Unfortunately, I was traveling for work and missed our previous council meeting, but here are the issues discussed at that meeting.
A resolution from the Retirement Systems of Alabama was passed to allow a one time lump sum payment for our retirees costing the city $1729.00.
Additionally, a resolution was passed allowing us to apply for a grant which would provide a walking trail from State Bank and Trust to the rear of the elementary school along the creek. This application is dependent upon the properties' land owners approval to allow us an easement for such project.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Election Recap
The Journal Record has an article recapping all Marion County elections. Also, there are a couple of pictures of Missy Miles working on the city's downtown mural. You can see the online version at http://www.myjrpaper.com.
You can follow Missy's progress at http://organicvessels.blogspot.com/.
You can follow Missy's progress at http://organicvessels.blogspot.com/.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Thank You!!!!
Thank you all, once again, for your help and support during this election. While we'll never all agree on every topic, I do feel we have elected a strong mayor and city council who will be very productive and move Guin forward. I really believe this group will be able to work together without the circus council meetings we've had during the last four years. I thank you, also, for your interest in this blog. I will continue using this site as an outlet for a two-way discussion on the issues affecting our city, so please continue to check in on a regular basis.
On a personal note, I have an announcement to make. Heather and I recently found out we are expecting our first child. We just returned from our first ultrasound in which we saw and heard the heartbeat. We are very happy and very excited about bringing a new life into this world. The due date is April 21st. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers during this process.
On a personal note, I have an announcement to make. Heather and I recently found out we are expecting our first child. We just returned from our first ultrasound in which we saw and heard the heartbeat. We are very happy and very excited about bringing a new life into this world. The due date is April 21st. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers during this process.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Election Results
Winners are marked with an asterisk.
Mayor:
Ken Randolph - 319
Phil Segraves - 484 *
City Council:
Bobby Bellew - 532 *
Phillip Garrison - 562 *
Bill Green - 404
Randall Guin - 358
Mike Hawkins - 151
Elaine Junkin - 563 *
Mineo Lindsey - 544 *
Steve Lolley - 279
Cerell Metcalf - 415 *
Tim Pierce - 197
"Boozer" Pinkerton - 448 *
Gary Randolph - 638 *
Brian Wideman - 115
Kevin Williams - 151
Thank you so much for your support. I'll post more later.
Mayor:
Ken Randolph - 319
Phil Segraves - 484 *
City Council:
Bobby Bellew - 532 *
Phillip Garrison - 562 *
Bill Green - 404
Randall Guin - 358
Mike Hawkins - 151
Elaine Junkin - 563 *
Mineo Lindsey - 544 *
Steve Lolley - 279
Cerell Metcalf - 415 *
Tim Pierce - 197
"Boozer" Pinkerton - 448 *
Gary Randolph - 638 *
Brian Wideman - 115
Kevin Williams - 151
Thank you so much for your support. I'll post more later.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Election Time!!!
It's finally here! Tomorrow, we'll go to the polls to elect Guin's future leaders. Please remember how important this election is to our city's future. This is a critical time for our region given the expected growth along I-22 and it's imperative we elect those people who will carry us forward and give us the opportunity for success. I know the weather is expected to be less than perfect, but please make an effort to get out and voice your opinion through your vote.
It has been fun to watch the polls on the right side of my site to see how readers expect to vote in tomorrow's election. Of course, none of this data is scientific and the election could turn out totally different than what the polls say, especially given our 7-vote system of electing a city council. It will be interesting, though, to see how the polls correlate to the election and if my readership is a good representation of people in our community. There are a few hours left to vote in my poll, but if the election were to go as the readers of this site predict, the following people would sit on our city government for the next four years:
Mayor:
Phil Segraves
City Council:
Bobby Bellew
Phillip Garrison
Mineo Lindsey
Elaine Junkin
Bill Green
Cerell Metcalf
Steve Lolley
Finally, I hope you've found this blog to be informative and a way to follow the activities of your city government. If elected, I do plan to continue using this as a way to not only inform the community of issues facing our city, but as a way of also gaining input from our citizens on those very same issues. I feel that I've proven myself to be a forward thinker and one who is willing to make the tough decisions to move Guin forward. So, as you go to the polls tomorrow, I respectfully ask for you vote and support for another four years on your city council. If you have questions for me before the election, feel free to post a comment publicly or email me privately at bobbybellew@gmail.com. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
One more note: I'll be at City Hall as the results of the election are posted tomorrow. As soon as I get the results, I will post them here. The polls close at 7, so expect results sometime between 7:30 and 8:00 P.M.
It has been fun to watch the polls on the right side of my site to see how readers expect to vote in tomorrow's election. Of course, none of this data is scientific and the election could turn out totally different than what the polls say, especially given our 7-vote system of electing a city council. It will be interesting, though, to see how the polls correlate to the election and if my readership is a good representation of people in our community. There are a few hours left to vote in my poll, but if the election were to go as the readers of this site predict, the following people would sit on our city government for the next four years:
Mayor:
Phil Segraves
City Council:
Bobby Bellew
Phillip Garrison
Mineo Lindsey
Elaine Junkin
Bill Green
Cerell Metcalf
Steve Lolley
Finally, I hope you've found this blog to be informative and a way to follow the activities of your city government. If elected, I do plan to continue using this as a way to not only inform the community of issues facing our city, but as a way of also gaining input from our citizens on those very same issues. I feel that I've proven myself to be a forward thinker and one who is willing to make the tough decisions to move Guin forward. So, as you go to the polls tomorrow, I respectfully ask for you vote and support for another four years on your city council. If you have questions for me before the election, feel free to post a comment publicly or email me privately at bobbybellew@gmail.com. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
One more note: I'll be at City Hall as the results of the election are posted tomorrow. As soon as I get the results, I will post them here. The polls close at 7, so expect results sometime between 7:30 and 8:00 P.M.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Candidate Forum
The En Evant Study Club sponsored a candidate forum tonight to allow voters an opportunity to hear candidates views on four separate issues facing our city. There were nine city council candidates who participated and Mayor Segraves was the only mayoral candidate present. The council candidates were myself, Mike Hawkins, Kevin Williams, Tim Pierce, Elaine Junkin, Mineo Lindsey, Boozer Pinkerton, and Cerell Metcalf. Steve Lolley, Gary Randolph, Randall Guin, Bill Green, Brian Wideman, and Ken Randolph did not participate.
Thank you to those 60 or so people who were in the audience for your support, but for those who were unable to attend, I am including the four questions we addressed. My response follows each question. I hope you'll find the information useful. If you have questions, feel free to comment and I'll be glad to respond.
1. Do you support the continuation of the school tax as it stands?
I believe the most important gift we can give our children is the gift of an education. The problem with this, though, is that a quality education can be costly. The state of Alabama has traditionally not funded education as well as we all would like. That puts a tremendous burden on communities around the state to fund their school systems sufficiently. Those communities who’ve taken on that responsibility through various funding projects and provided the necessary resources for their schools have seen a lot of success. Some of those schools and school systems are rated among the best in the country. Those who choose not to fund their systems sufficiently struggle to provide their children with the necessary resources for a quality education. And, unfortunately, those are some of the lowest rated schools in our country. This discrepancy in our state is very unfortunate, but one we have to deal with.
Several years ago, our community leaders decided it was important to provide needed resources to our schools through a one cent sales tax. Through this sales tax, our citizens funnel over $100,000 per year to our children. This money has been used over the years for facilities improvements, school supplies, technology, and many other areas needed to provide a quality education. Without this additional funding, there is no doubt much of this would not have been available to our kids.
I would love to see the day when we could find other avenues to provide sufficient funding to allow our children the education we all desire, but until that day comes, I will continue to support the 1% sales tax designated for our local schools. The future of our children is too important to not provide them with the very best education available.
At the end of each year, on this very stage, our students accept tens of thousands of dollars in scholarship money. This is a testament to the hard work of our students, but your tax dollars have provided them with the resources needed to prepare them for college. We should all feel a sense of pride for the small amount we may have contributed to the educational successes of these students.
2. Would you support land use regulation (zoning)?
Land use regulation or zoning is something our community has yet to face, but it’s something we’ll need to address as we look to grow our city. Zoning can entail many things, much of which I’m still learning. The primary purpose of zoning, though, is to segregate uses that are thought to be incompatible. Primarily, zoning is used as a permitting system to prevent new development from harming existing residents or businesses or to preserve the "character" of a community.
Zoning may include regulations of the kinds of activities which would be acceptable on certain lots such as open space, residential, commercial, agricultural, or industrial. It can include such things as regulating building heights, the amount of space a structure may occupy, how much parking should be provided, or even the type of landscaping required for certain structures. It’s yet to be seen whether or not any or all of this would apply to our community, but I do feel it’s something we have to look at. It’s important to Guin’s future that we bring in new business. And whether it be industrial or commercial, businesses look for these type regulations when scouting a community for potential expansion.
Creating a land use plan is a very complicated process and, I’m sure, can be a controversial topic, but it’s something we have to consider given the requirements of potential industry. I do support some type of zoning legislation for Guin, but not without significant involvement from all areas of our community. It’s very important we bring growth to our community, but, it’s also important we do it with the goals and aspirations of our citizens in mind. If we work together, this city can grow and succeed while maintaining the quality of life we all enjoy.
3. How do you propose the next city council avoid the bickering and other embarrassing conduct reported in the local newspaper?
Disagreement is nothing new to city government. I personally believe disagreement can be healthy for the process if it’s done in a professional manner. Expressing one’s opinion, whether we agree or not, allows us to see all aspects of the issues we face. And when we act on those issues, we can do so knowing we’ve considered all angles.
The problem, though, is that our city council sometimes disagrees or bickers in a way that’s a detriment to our city. That bickering, while achieving nothing, guarantees us a spot on the front page of our local newspaper for all the wrong reasons. While some may consider these antics entertaining, and many do, I consider them to be embarrassing. My goal is to do my very best to move Guin forward, but each time we create this circus, we, as a city, move one step back.
As our city council enters a new term, we approve a set of rules which establish order for our meetings. First and foremost, it’s important we know those rules of order and abide by them. Those rules require that an agenda of specific topics be established prior to the meeting and that any changes or additions be approved by the majority of the council on the day of the meeting. This ensures that each member of the council has time to sufficiently prepare for the items which require action and are not blind sided by issues or complaints that are brought up during a meeting.
Secondly, there are many issues and areas that don’t initially require action by the city council and need to be taken up with the department heads in charge of those aspects of Guin’s day-to-day business. If one cannot get the desired response through the proper channels, then those issues should be brought before the council. These day-to-day issues have proven, over the last four years, to be a significant source of much of the bickering we’ve encountered in our meetings. If we can take care of those issues with our department heads before a meeting, we eliminate this source of contention and are able to take action on those issues we are responsible for.
Lastly, council members should respect each other and the responsibility they’ve been given to lead our community. If we respect our colleagues, we can offer up differing opinions and views and debate in a manner that can be healthy for our community. It’s important that we support our views with factual information and refrain from personal attacks when someone disagrees with a certain viewpoint. We should also respect the position which our citizens have trusted us to. If we bicker and cause our city harm through our antics, we have disrespected the position we’ve been elected to perform.
Whether or not we believe it, prospective industry reads our local newspaper and knows exactly how we get along. The city council can disagree and debate the issues of our community, but it’s imperative we do it in a manner that doesn’t bring harm to this city.
4. Will you commit your support to whoever is elected as mayor and/or city council in their efforts to move the city forward?
Absolutely! Each candidate has their own views and opinions on how we move our community forward. Some of those opinions may correlate with others running for office, while others may wildly differ, but I sincerely believe we all have the best for Guin in mind. I’m running for re-election for that very reason. I love this community, want to raise a family here, and retire here. I want to provide our children and grandchildren opportunities to come back and live here if they so choose. I would be doing you a disservice if you entrust me with another four years on the city council and I refuse to work with my colleagues because their views differ from mine. If we’ll work together, I have no doubt that this community will grow and succeed and the goals and aspirations we all have for our city can be achieved.
I thank you so much for your time and respectfully ask for your support in our municipal election on Tuesday.
Thank you to those 60 or so people who were in the audience for your support, but for those who were unable to attend, I am including the four questions we addressed. My response follows each question. I hope you'll find the information useful. If you have questions, feel free to comment and I'll be glad to respond.
1. Do you support the continuation of the school tax as it stands?
I believe the most important gift we can give our children is the gift of an education. The problem with this, though, is that a quality education can be costly. The state of Alabama has traditionally not funded education as well as we all would like. That puts a tremendous burden on communities around the state to fund their school systems sufficiently. Those communities who’ve taken on that responsibility through various funding projects and provided the necessary resources for their schools have seen a lot of success. Some of those schools and school systems are rated among the best in the country. Those who choose not to fund their systems sufficiently struggle to provide their children with the necessary resources for a quality education. And, unfortunately, those are some of the lowest rated schools in our country. This discrepancy in our state is very unfortunate, but one we have to deal with.
Several years ago, our community leaders decided it was important to provide needed resources to our schools through a one cent sales tax. Through this sales tax, our citizens funnel over $100,000 per year to our children. This money has been used over the years for facilities improvements, school supplies, technology, and many other areas needed to provide a quality education. Without this additional funding, there is no doubt much of this would not have been available to our kids.
I would love to see the day when we could find other avenues to provide sufficient funding to allow our children the education we all desire, but until that day comes, I will continue to support the 1% sales tax designated for our local schools. The future of our children is too important to not provide them with the very best education available.
At the end of each year, on this very stage, our students accept tens of thousands of dollars in scholarship money. This is a testament to the hard work of our students, but your tax dollars have provided them with the resources needed to prepare them for college. We should all feel a sense of pride for the small amount we may have contributed to the educational successes of these students.
2. Would you support land use regulation (zoning)?
Land use regulation or zoning is something our community has yet to face, but it’s something we’ll need to address as we look to grow our city. Zoning can entail many things, much of which I’m still learning. The primary purpose of zoning, though, is to segregate uses that are thought to be incompatible. Primarily, zoning is used as a permitting system to prevent new development from harming existing residents or businesses or to preserve the "character" of a community.
Zoning may include regulations of the kinds of activities which would be acceptable on certain lots such as open space, residential, commercial, agricultural, or industrial. It can include such things as regulating building heights, the amount of space a structure may occupy, how much parking should be provided, or even the type of landscaping required for certain structures. It’s yet to be seen whether or not any or all of this would apply to our community, but I do feel it’s something we have to look at. It’s important to Guin’s future that we bring in new business. And whether it be industrial or commercial, businesses look for these type regulations when scouting a community for potential expansion.
Creating a land use plan is a very complicated process and, I’m sure, can be a controversial topic, but it’s something we have to consider given the requirements of potential industry. I do support some type of zoning legislation for Guin, but not without significant involvement from all areas of our community. It’s very important we bring growth to our community, but, it’s also important we do it with the goals and aspirations of our citizens in mind. If we work together, this city can grow and succeed while maintaining the quality of life we all enjoy.
3. How do you propose the next city council avoid the bickering and other embarrassing conduct reported in the local newspaper?
Disagreement is nothing new to city government. I personally believe disagreement can be healthy for the process if it’s done in a professional manner. Expressing one’s opinion, whether we agree or not, allows us to see all aspects of the issues we face. And when we act on those issues, we can do so knowing we’ve considered all angles.
The problem, though, is that our city council sometimes disagrees or bickers in a way that’s a detriment to our city. That bickering, while achieving nothing, guarantees us a spot on the front page of our local newspaper for all the wrong reasons. While some may consider these antics entertaining, and many do, I consider them to be embarrassing. My goal is to do my very best to move Guin forward, but each time we create this circus, we, as a city, move one step back.
As our city council enters a new term, we approve a set of rules which establish order for our meetings. First and foremost, it’s important we know those rules of order and abide by them. Those rules require that an agenda of specific topics be established prior to the meeting and that any changes or additions be approved by the majority of the council on the day of the meeting. This ensures that each member of the council has time to sufficiently prepare for the items which require action and are not blind sided by issues or complaints that are brought up during a meeting.
Secondly, there are many issues and areas that don’t initially require action by the city council and need to be taken up with the department heads in charge of those aspects of Guin’s day-to-day business. If one cannot get the desired response through the proper channels, then those issues should be brought before the council. These day-to-day issues have proven, over the last four years, to be a significant source of much of the bickering we’ve encountered in our meetings. If we can take care of those issues with our department heads before a meeting, we eliminate this source of contention and are able to take action on those issues we are responsible for.
Lastly, council members should respect each other and the responsibility they’ve been given to lead our community. If we respect our colleagues, we can offer up differing opinions and views and debate in a manner that can be healthy for our community. It’s important that we support our views with factual information and refrain from personal attacks when someone disagrees with a certain viewpoint. We should also respect the position which our citizens have trusted us to. If we bicker and cause our city harm through our antics, we have disrespected the position we’ve been elected to perform.
Whether or not we believe it, prospective industry reads our local newspaper and knows exactly how we get along. The city council can disagree and debate the issues of our community, but it’s imperative we do it in a manner that doesn’t bring harm to this city.
4. Will you commit your support to whoever is elected as mayor and/or city council in their efforts to move the city forward?
Absolutely! Each candidate has their own views and opinions on how we move our community forward. Some of those opinions may correlate with others running for office, while others may wildly differ, but I sincerely believe we all have the best for Guin in mind. I’m running for re-election for that very reason. I love this community, want to raise a family here, and retire here. I want to provide our children and grandchildren opportunities to come back and live here if they so choose. I would be doing you a disservice if you entrust me with another four years on the city council and I refuse to work with my colleagues because their views differ from mine. If we’ll work together, I have no doubt that this community will grow and succeed and the goals and aspirations we all have for our city can be achieved.
I thank you so much for your time and respectfully ask for your support in our municipal election on Tuesday.
Monday, August 18, 2008
City Council Meeting - August 18th
There was no business done tonight for lack of a 5 member quorum. Mayor Segraves was in Montgomery to meet with the state highway director Joe McGinnis and was unable to make it back for the meeting. Those available for the meeting were myself, Elaine Junkin, Phillip Garrison, and Clarence Atkinson. Wade Peoples, Roger Agnew, and Randall Guin were absent.
We were to take up two items in tonight's meeting. We were to decide on a one time lump sum bonus for the city's retirees, as well as approving a resolution which would allow us to apply for a $100, 000+ grant that would be used to build a walking trail around the creek that runs through downtown. My understanding is that the trail would run from the main highway downtown to our high school softball field adjacent to the elementary school. We will, of course, carry these items over and take action on them at our next meeting.
Note: We are only 8 days away from our municipal election. Please remember it's important that we all vote and voice the concern we have for our future by electing those candidates who will move Guin forward. The En Evant Study Club is sponsoring a "Meet the Candidates" forum on Friday night at 7 P.M. at the high school all purpose room. Those participating will have five minutes to discuss four separate issues important to our city. I encourage everyone to attend and listen to the candidates views on these important topics.
We were to take up two items in tonight's meeting. We were to decide on a one time lump sum bonus for the city's retirees, as well as approving a resolution which would allow us to apply for a $100, 000+ grant that would be used to build a walking trail around the creek that runs through downtown. My understanding is that the trail would run from the main highway downtown to our high school softball field adjacent to the elementary school. We will, of course, carry these items over and take action on them at our next meeting.
Note: We are only 8 days away from our municipal election. Please remember it's important that we all vote and voice the concern we have for our future by electing those candidates who will move Guin forward. The En Evant Study Club is sponsoring a "Meet the Candidates" forum on Friday night at 7 P.M. at the high school all purpose room. Those participating will have five minutes to discuss four separate issues important to our city. I encourage everyone to attend and listen to the candidates views on these important topics.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Residential Planning
The Journal Record has an article on their site outlining the residential planning project I discussed in a previous post. You can see it at http://www.myjrpaper.com.
Note: Remember that when the new edition is posted on their site on Wednesday, older articles will not be available for viewing.
Note: Remember that when the new edition is posted on their site on Wednesday, older articles will not be available for viewing.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Development Projects
The City Council met tonight to act upon bids which were accepted last Thursday for an industrial access road to our property along the future I-22. We've received a grant for this project totaling $369,253. No match from the city is required. The construction bid includes grading, drainage, and stone base for the roadway. Additionally, a chip seal will be placed on the roadway. The low bid was from Trout Construction for a total of $334,483.23. That's approximately $35,000 less than the available funding. We'll use the remaining funds to "dress up" the roadway with curbing, landscaping, etc.. We're very grateful for the funding we received for this project. This, along with the legwork already done for the Magna project, only allows us to be better prepared to present our property to potential prospects.
Separate from the called council meeting, many of the council members, including myself, hung around to hear a presentation from Intresinc, a marketing firm, and McKim & Creed, an engineering firm specializing in planning and land development. Barbara Spohn from Intresinc and Mark Brock and Mark Smith of McKim & Creed presented several of our community leaders (mayor, city council, water board, Chamber of Commerce, etc..) with a conceptual plan for a residential development on a 76 acre piece of property adjacent to the Travel Inn Motel. The concept, which is a work in progress, would be a semi-gated community including homes of several different types and price ranges, tennis courts, pool(s), walking trails, a lake, and even limited retail within walking distance of the main development. The homes might include townhomes, mid-range houses, and/or even upscale type homes on larger lots, all of which could be phased in based on market conditions. Of course, this is all in the conceptual phase right now and is subject to change depending on community input. According to Miss Spohn, though, there are investors interested in this project, so the concept could become a reality sooner than later.
This concept is something that Guin sorely needs. Unfortunately, we have a shortage of mid-range to upscale type homes that many families are looking for when they move into our area. And ultimately, we end up losing these families to some of our neighboring communities who have these type homes available. This type of development would not only allow us to attract those families to our community and to our schools, it can also be a tremendous tool when we're recruiting industry to our area. Housing is a very important piece of a recruiting package we might present to an industry and one which we lack in currently.
Attached is a picture of the conceptual design. It's not a great picture, but hopefully you can get an idea of what the development might look like. I'm also attaching a second picture of a design, also from Intresinc, that is planned for the Healthtex property once the building is brought down. The plan is for a retail development located on the ground floor with loft apartments located above those businesses.
Separate from the called council meeting, many of the council members, including myself, hung around to hear a presentation from Intresinc, a marketing firm, and McKim & Creed, an engineering firm specializing in planning and land development. Barbara Spohn from Intresinc and Mark Brock and Mark Smith of McKim & Creed presented several of our community leaders (mayor, city council, water board, Chamber of Commerce, etc..) with a conceptual plan for a residential development on a 76 acre piece of property adjacent to the Travel Inn Motel. The concept, which is a work in progress, would be a semi-gated community including homes of several different types and price ranges, tennis courts, pool(s), walking trails, a lake, and even limited retail within walking distance of the main development. The homes might include townhomes, mid-range houses, and/or even upscale type homes on larger lots, all of which could be phased in based on market conditions. Of course, this is all in the conceptual phase right now and is subject to change depending on community input. According to Miss Spohn, though, there are investors interested in this project, so the concept could become a reality sooner than later.
This concept is something that Guin sorely needs. Unfortunately, we have a shortage of mid-range to upscale type homes that many families are looking for when they move into our area. And ultimately, we end up losing these families to some of our neighboring communities who have these type homes available. This type of development would not only allow us to attract those families to our community and to our schools, it can also be a tremendous tool when we're recruiting industry to our area. Housing is a very important piece of a recruiting package we might present to an industry and one which we lack in currently.
Attached is a picture of the conceptual design. It's not a great picture, but hopefully you can get an idea of what the development might look like. I'm also attaching a second picture of a design, also from Intresinc, that is planned for the Healthtex property once the building is brought down. The plan is for a retail development located on the ground floor with loft apartments located above those businesses.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Seven Vote System - Cumulative Voting
As most of you know, we use a system of voting in Guin that gives a voter seven votes to be split any number of ways to elect a seven member city council. The system was implemented by the Justice Department in the 1980s as a result of a lawsuit brought against a number of communities in Alabama. The link below gives an informative rundown of what the voting system is and how it came about. The site gives several opinions that I don't necessarily agree with, but there is factual information there related to the voting system that might help you understand why we use this particular system.
http://www.fairvote.org/?page=516
There are a wide array of opinions on this subject, but much of what I hear is one of dislike. The system does allow a small number of voters to elect a candidate if they choose to vote for that individual seven times. While the result may have been what was envisioned when the system was implemented, it can knock out those candidates who may have received votes from a larger number of people. I, personally, would love to see us implement another system, but we are sort of hamstrung by the decision put in place years ago. The lawsuit which originally brought about these changes has been dropped giving us the freedom to go in another direction, but any changes we make will have to be approved by the Justice Department. Essentially, that limits us to just a couple of options. The most viable of those is going to the district format. We have discussed going to 5 districts, but the feedback we've received is that the city will only get approval if we move to 7 districts. In that case, given our size, it would be very difficult to draw off districts of any significant size at all.
Whether or not you agree with the voting system in place, it's unlikely to change in the near future. So, it's important we use the system to our advantage and place the most desirable candidates in office. There are many theories as to how one should use their seven votes. Some will use all votes on one candidate, while others may split them seven different ways. I, personally, believe we should educate ourselves on all candidates, choose those who we feel most strongly about, and split those votes accordingly. If you feel strongly about only one candidate, he or she should get all seven votes. If you feel there are three candidates qualified for office, split your votes among those three candidates. Whatever the case may be, it's important we all realize the criticality of our decisions on August 26th and elect those who will move Guin forward. These are exciting times for Guin and Northwest Alabama and the leaders we choose will have a lot to say about our future.
As always, thank you for reading the site. I hope the information provided is helpful. Any and all comments are welcome.
http://www.fairvote.org/?page=516
There are a wide array of opinions on this subject, but much of what I hear is one of dislike. The system does allow a small number of voters to elect a candidate if they choose to vote for that individual seven times. While the result may have been what was envisioned when the system was implemented, it can knock out those candidates who may have received votes from a larger number of people. I, personally, would love to see us implement another system, but we are sort of hamstrung by the decision put in place years ago. The lawsuit which originally brought about these changes has been dropped giving us the freedom to go in another direction, but any changes we make will have to be approved by the Justice Department. Essentially, that limits us to just a couple of options. The most viable of those is going to the district format. We have discussed going to 5 districts, but the feedback we've received is that the city will only get approval if we move to 7 districts. In that case, given our size, it would be very difficult to draw off districts of any significant size at all.
Whether or not you agree with the voting system in place, it's unlikely to change in the near future. So, it's important we use the system to our advantage and place the most desirable candidates in office. There are many theories as to how one should use their seven votes. Some will use all votes on one candidate, while others may split them seven different ways. I, personally, believe we should educate ourselves on all candidates, choose those who we feel most strongly about, and split those votes accordingly. If you feel strongly about only one candidate, he or she should get all seven votes. If you feel there are three candidates qualified for office, split your votes among those three candidates. Whatever the case may be, it's important we all realize the criticality of our decisions on August 26th and elect those who will move Guin forward. These are exciting times for Guin and Northwest Alabama and the leaders we choose will have a lot to say about our future.
As always, thank you for reading the site. I hope the information provided is helpful. Any and all comments are welcome.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Absentee Voting
Just a quick note on absentee voting - You can find the state procedure for absentee voting by visiting http://www.sos.state.al.us/Elections/AbsenteeVotingInfo.aspx.
You may follow the procedure outlined in the link above, but some of you, especially college students, may be in town for another week or two. If so, you can go to city hall and the city clerk will have everything you need. She'll help you fill out the necessary paperwork and you can vote while on site.
We are so fortunate in this country to be able to elect our leaders. It's important that we all speak through our votes and elect those candidates who best represent our views and ideas. And, most importantly, remember to vote Bobby Bellew for Guin City Council. :-)
You may follow the procedure outlined in the link above, but some of you, especially college students, may be in town for another week or two. If so, you can go to city hall and the city clerk will have everything you need. She'll help you fill out the necessary paperwork and you can vote while on site.
We are so fortunate in this country to be able to elect our leaders. It's important that we all speak through our votes and elect those candidates who best represent our views and ideas. And, most importantly, remember to vote Bobby Bellew for Guin City Council. :-)
Monday, August 4, 2008
City News - August 4th, 2008
We had our first council meeting of August this evening. Below are a few notes from tonight's meeting:
In old business, the proposed move of David Adkins to maintenance director and Zane Miles to park director was approved. The move will ultimately save the city $4000 per year. Both guys are very experienced and I'm confident they'll both do a great job in their new positions.
Missy Miles, a local artist, brought us another rendering of a mural which will go on the building behind the city's fountain. The new rendering took into account some changes the building owner requested. Those changes earned the owner's approval, so, tonight, we gave the go ahead to begin work. Work should begin almost immediately. Also, the Mayfest committee agreed to pay for the work, so, other than some initial cleaning by our street department, there will be no city money used for this project. You can see the rendering below.
In new business, we made a $300 appropriation to Safe Place and a $4538.37 allotment to the North Alabama Council of Local Governments for appropriation dues and funding for the Area Agency on Aging. We also assigned election workers for the municipal election on August 26th.
In other news, Police Chief G.B. Blaylock presented us a quote for top of the line taser guns. We'll take action on the quote at a later meeting, but this is a something that's important to the safety of our officers and we shouldn't have a problem getting this one through the council.
Finally, here a couple of pictures of our new firetruck and police car:
I continue to be amazed at the interest in my blog. I think it shows the concern each of you have for our future. Thank you also for the support many of you have shown for me and my campaign. Keep the comments coming and please pass on a link to the site to your friends and family. I've got a ton of material to cover in the next few weeks, so check back on a regular basis.
Friday, August 1, 2008
New Mural Possible For Guin
Please take a moment to check out the online version of the Journal Record at http://www.myjrpaper.com. There's an article on their front page outlining plans we have for a new mural backdrop to be located behind our fountain in downtown Guin.
On a personal note, there's also an article there about Trad Godsey, a former baseball player of mine. He has received a degree from Harvard University. I'm always proud to see any student further their education in any way, but to read what he's done is amazing.
One final note: Unfortunately, the Journal Record does not have an archive feature which would allow you to see their older articles, so if you're trying to reach some of those outlined in some of my earlier posts, you will only see the current version of the newspaper.
On a personal note, there's also an article there about Trad Godsey, a former baseball player of mine. He has received a degree from Harvard University. I'm always proud to see any student further their education in any way, but to read what he's done is amazing.
One final note: Unfortunately, the Journal Record does not have an archive feature which would allow you to see their older articles, so if you're trying to reach some of those outlined in some of my earlier posts, you will only see the current version of the newspaper.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Grant Money - What It Is And How Guin Benefits
In small cities and communities, there's always a need to look for economical ways to fund projects which may enhance their city services, build or improve infrastructure, or just improve the aesthetic quality of the city. Guin is no different in that we are always looking to improve those same areas at a very minimal cost to our taxpayers. To do this, we have to take advantage of a financial grant process setup in many governmental agencies to return tax dollars to their communities.
Grant money is basically funding for specific projects that does not have to be paid back. It sometimes requires the recipient to match a small percentage of the total project cost, generally 10% - 20%, but not always. There are a number of grants available which require no financial burden on the recipient at all. Of course, that's an ideal situation for cities like Guin in that we can fund large projects at no cost to the city. There are stipulations and requirements, though, that come along with any of these financial awards. The money granted has to be used for very specific items and cannot be redirected in any way. There are times when we would like to use grant money in areas not originally intended, but it's just not allowed. Financial awards have very specific uses and cannot be redirected in any way.
We've been blessed in Guin to have community leaders who have made the necessary connections to not only find and apply for large financial grants, but to continually bring our tax dollars back home through many large awards. Since 2003, Guin has pulled in over $3.2 million in grant money from a variety of governmental agencies, while providing matches of just over $600,000. Some of the projects funded include the water park splash pad, South Hill sewer project, sidewalk improvements, and our new senior/safe center. Just for the senior center, we received almost $900,000 in federal and state funding. Additionally, since 2000, Guin's received over $19.3 million in fully funded Alabama Department of Transportation projects. Those include our sidewalk, lighting, and landscaping projects, HWY 44 and HWY 118 widening and resurfacing projects, downtown Memorial Park, and several city street resurfacing projects. Guin also has several grant applications pending which could bring us another $861,000 in funding if approved.
So, as evidenced above, this grant process has allowed our city to make improvements we might not have made without it. The process does require a lot of due diligence for those involved, but can also require making the necessary connections with those who ultimately decide where the money goes. We've had a lot of success over the last several years in this arena and I can only hope we see the same success in the future. As with all issues, it's important for us to know how candidates stand on those particular issues and how they might handle those processes. With that knowledge, we can better determine who we want leading us in the next four years.
Grant money is basically funding for specific projects that does not have to be paid back. It sometimes requires the recipient to match a small percentage of the total project cost, generally 10% - 20%, but not always. There are a number of grants available which require no financial burden on the recipient at all. Of course, that's an ideal situation for cities like Guin in that we can fund large projects at no cost to the city. There are stipulations and requirements, though, that come along with any of these financial awards. The money granted has to be used for very specific items and cannot be redirected in any way. There are times when we would like to use grant money in areas not originally intended, but it's just not allowed. Financial awards have very specific uses and cannot be redirected in any way.
We've been blessed in Guin to have community leaders who have made the necessary connections to not only find and apply for large financial grants, but to continually bring our tax dollars back home through many large awards. Since 2003, Guin has pulled in over $3.2 million in grant money from a variety of governmental agencies, while providing matches of just over $600,000. Some of the projects funded include the water park splash pad, South Hill sewer project, sidewalk improvements, and our new senior/safe center. Just for the senior center, we received almost $900,000 in federal and state funding. Additionally, since 2000, Guin's received over $19.3 million in fully funded Alabama Department of Transportation projects. Those include our sidewalk, lighting, and landscaping projects, HWY 44 and HWY 118 widening and resurfacing projects, downtown Memorial Park, and several city street resurfacing projects. Guin also has several grant applications pending which could bring us another $861,000 in funding if approved.
So, as evidenced above, this grant process has allowed our city to make improvements we might not have made without it. The process does require a lot of due diligence for those involved, but can also require making the necessary connections with those who ultimately decide where the money goes. We've had a lot of success over the last several years in this arena and I can only hope we see the same success in the future. As with all issues, it's important for us to know how candidates stand on those particular issues and how they might handle those processes. With that knowledge, we can better determine who we want leading us in the next four years.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Wow! I Struck A Nerve.
It appears that I've struck a nerve with one of our mayoral candidates. This particular candidate believes my post on "Rumors and Lies" was specifically aimed at him and his comments. If he'll read my post thoroughly, he'll see that I never attributed the entire list of rumors/lies to just one candidate or anyone in particular. Can you say guilty conscience?
To be fair, I'll post his letter verbatim below including spelling and punctuation. My response will follow each section:
To The Great Citizens of Guin,
I've given much thought to Bobby Bellew's comments, in particular, the section--Rumor and Lies. I find it ironic that Bobbys first statement says and I quote, "It's inevitable that with any election, there's going to be some candidates who feel the need to spread rumors and lies to help themselves get elected." Excuse Me! Tell me if I'm wrong, but is that not what Bobby Bellew is doing by printing this. Who's trying to get themselves elected? Actually, I am trying to get elected to a seat on the City Council. What's ironic about that? And what rumors and lies have I actually spread?
I have not had a single conversation with Bobby Bellew in regard to any of the unfounded statements printed by him. Your information at best is second hand and makes you no better than the ignorant candidates you speak of! So, are you denying my information is accurate? My goal is to make certain voters understand the difference between fact and fiction so they may be fully educated when they go to the polls on August 26th.
I will not dignify a responce to your sad attempt to stop the winds of change by printing gossip and enuendos. You have not only embarassed yourself but this community as well, by only proving the devisive nature of this administration. So, I'm a little confused. If it didn't require a response, then what's the letter's intent?
Any citizen who wishes to know where I stand on any subject pertaining to my goals, my plans, and our city's future, need only come by my office or call.
Bobby, if you want to challenge my integrity, be a man and do it to my face; don't print out every rumor someone says I've told and attempt to make the great citizens of Guin believe your false concerns for truth! Case in Point: Your half-truth about the Mayors salary being $18,000 is not even true at this time. The Mayor is paid $16,000 now, the $2,000 raise is for the next term. I find it disappointing that you are concerned about me posting the mayor's salary as it will be during the next term, but seem to have little concern about the other points I highlighted in the post you referenced at the beginning of your letter. Also, I've never attacked anyone's integrity, but I did make the statement that if anyone is willing to withhold business prospects until he or she is elected, one might want to question their integrity given they are using those "prospects" as a way of getting elected rather than for the betterment of the city. And that still stands. So, if that claim is baseless, then no one has anything to worry about.
Bobby, I am truly disappointed that you would mislead the people who voted you into office by insulting their intelligence with this half truth. I've never mislead anyone. Actually, it's quite the contrary. I've put fact behind the untruths our citizens are getting from several candidates who believe they have to lie and mislead voters to get elected.
Not only does the Mayor receive a monthly salary from the Water Board which was set up to enhance the Mayors salary. He also receives a monthly salary from Northwest Alabama Gas. Bobby, correct me if I'm wrong thats over $30,000 a year, plus a very liberal expense account to boot. The City Council has no control over the two entities you mentioned. All we can control is what the city of Guin pays it's mayor. My question to you is - what changes do you plan to make to the above setup if you are elected mayor? Also, that "liberal expense account" you talk about is used for business purposes only. Any claim otherwise is false. All city accounts are public record and are open to anyone who wants details.
The only person who has attempted to mislead the people of Guin is you Bobby. If anyone has any concerns, it should be how many half-truths have you told the last four years. Please elaborate on these half-truths you speak of. I have a public voting record open to anyone who wants to know how I feel about the issues we've faced over the last four years. There's no half-truths there - only fact.
Yours in Citizenship,
Dr. Ken Randolph
President John Adams once said that "facts are stubborn things." He went on to say that "whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." I believe we are all passionate about our ideas and views and what it takes to move Guin forward, but that doesn't change the facts. The fact remains that there are several candidates who believe misleading others is a way to their vote. The fact also remains that the people of Guin deserve the truth. I will not apologize for my efforts to answer rumors through the posting of fact. I believe it's important for our citizens to see through those falsehoods, understand the truth, and vote for those of us who are willing to move Guin forward. I will continue to use this outlet as a way of doing just that.
I do agree with Mr. Randolph on one thing and that's the fact that our voters should discuss with each and every candidate their views on the issues facing our city today. I've always contended that we should not vote for candidates purely on coffee shop rumors, but on their actual platform for a better city. Mr. Randolph never addressed the issues I outlined in "Rumors and Lies" with his above letter, so I challenge you, as he has, to call him or visit him to find out what his views really are related to those issues. And the same should go for me or any other candidate. Let's all be educated when we vote for our future leaders on August 26th.
And, by the way, I appreciate the advertisement for my blog. I'm just disappointed the link to the site was not published on the letter.
To be fair, I'll post his letter verbatim below including spelling and punctuation. My response will follow each section:
To The Great Citizens of Guin,
I've given much thought to Bobby Bellew's comments, in particular, the section--Rumor and Lies. I find it ironic that Bobbys first statement says and I quote, "It's inevitable that with any election, there's going to be some candidates who feel the need to spread rumors and lies to help themselves get elected." Excuse Me! Tell me if I'm wrong, but is that not what Bobby Bellew is doing by printing this. Who's trying to get themselves elected? Actually, I am trying to get elected to a seat on the City Council. What's ironic about that? And what rumors and lies have I actually spread?
I have not had a single conversation with Bobby Bellew in regard to any of the unfounded statements printed by him. Your information at best is second hand and makes you no better than the ignorant candidates you speak of! So, are you denying my information is accurate? My goal is to make certain voters understand the difference between fact and fiction so they may be fully educated when they go to the polls on August 26th.
I will not dignify a responce to your sad attempt to stop the winds of change by printing gossip and enuendos. You have not only embarassed yourself but this community as well, by only proving the devisive nature of this administration. So, I'm a little confused. If it didn't require a response, then what's the letter's intent?
Any citizen who wishes to know where I stand on any subject pertaining to my goals, my plans, and our city's future, need only come by my office or call.
Bobby, if you want to challenge my integrity, be a man and do it to my face; don't print out every rumor someone says I've told and attempt to make the great citizens of Guin believe your false concerns for truth! Case in Point: Your half-truth about the Mayors salary being $18,000 is not even true at this time. The Mayor is paid $16,000 now, the $2,000 raise is for the next term. I find it disappointing that you are concerned about me posting the mayor's salary as it will be during the next term, but seem to have little concern about the other points I highlighted in the post you referenced at the beginning of your letter. Also, I've never attacked anyone's integrity, but I did make the statement that if anyone is willing to withhold business prospects until he or she is elected, one might want to question their integrity given they are using those "prospects" as a way of getting elected rather than for the betterment of the city. And that still stands. So, if that claim is baseless, then no one has anything to worry about.
Bobby, I am truly disappointed that you would mislead the people who voted you into office by insulting their intelligence with this half truth. I've never mislead anyone. Actually, it's quite the contrary. I've put fact behind the untruths our citizens are getting from several candidates who believe they have to lie and mislead voters to get elected.
Not only does the Mayor receive a monthly salary from the Water Board which was set up to enhance the Mayors salary. He also receives a monthly salary from Northwest Alabama Gas. Bobby, correct me if I'm wrong thats over $30,000 a year, plus a very liberal expense account to boot. The City Council has no control over the two entities you mentioned. All we can control is what the city of Guin pays it's mayor. My question to you is - what changes do you plan to make to the above setup if you are elected mayor? Also, that "liberal expense account" you talk about is used for business purposes only. Any claim otherwise is false. All city accounts are public record and are open to anyone who wants details.
The only person who has attempted to mislead the people of Guin is you Bobby. If anyone has any concerns, it should be how many half-truths have you told the last four years. Please elaborate on these half-truths you speak of. I have a public voting record open to anyone who wants to know how I feel about the issues we've faced over the last four years. There's no half-truths there - only fact.
Yours in Citizenship,
Dr. Ken Randolph
President John Adams once said that "facts are stubborn things." He went on to say that "whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." I believe we are all passionate about our ideas and views and what it takes to move Guin forward, but that doesn't change the facts. The fact remains that there are several candidates who believe misleading others is a way to their vote. The fact also remains that the people of Guin deserve the truth. I will not apologize for my efforts to answer rumors through the posting of fact. I believe it's important for our citizens to see through those falsehoods, understand the truth, and vote for those of us who are willing to move Guin forward. I will continue to use this outlet as a way of doing just that.
I do agree with Mr. Randolph on one thing and that's the fact that our voters should discuss with each and every candidate their views on the issues facing our city today. I've always contended that we should not vote for candidates purely on coffee shop rumors, but on their actual platform for a better city. Mr. Randolph never addressed the issues I outlined in "Rumors and Lies" with his above letter, so I challenge you, as he has, to call him or visit him to find out what his views really are related to those issues. And the same should go for me or any other candidate. Let's all be educated when we vote for our future leaders on August 26th.
And, by the way, I appreciate the advertisement for my blog. I'm just disappointed the link to the site was not published on the letter.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Journal Record Article On MCHS Distance Learning Lab
Check out http://www.myjrpaper.com. There is a nice profile article on the MCHS distance learning lab in today's edition.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Election Polls
I've setup a couple of very unscientific polls regarding our city races on the right side of the page. Of course, nothing is set in stone at this point, but I thought it might be interesting to see how people are thinking throughout the next few weeks as we get closer to our local elections on August 26th.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Guin's New Fire Truck
Today, Guin took delivery of our new firetruck. Attached are a few shots of the truck. They're not that great since the truck was parked inside, but you can get a good idea of what it looks like. The fire department has a meeting next Tuesday to begin installing hoses and other equipment and I'll try to get a full shot then and post it here. Click each picture for a larger view.
Monday, July 21, 2008
City News - July 21, 2008
A couple of quick notes from tonight's city council meeting:
Coach David Adkins will be moving to the maintenance director's position leaving his post as park director. The Park and Recreation Board has recommended moving Zane Miles to park director, but per city policy, the job will be posted in-house for 7 days to allow city employees an opportunity to apply. After those 7 days, the council may choose to accept the Park board's recommendation or interview anyone within the city who might be qualified for the position. Given Zane's background, it's likely the Council will accept the board's recommendation. Zane has a tremendous work ethic and will, no doubt, do an excellent job. If the board's request is approved as expected, salaries will be adjusted accordingly and will ultimately save the city approximately $4000 per year.
We discussed several areas of the city where illegal dumping has been a problem. One is along 13th Avenue and another along 3rd Street. These areas are becoming a nuisance and can be a health hazard. And we continue to have a problem with the old Cotton Bend Apartments. The current owner refuses to clean the grounds or repair any of the visible structural damage to the building. All of these areas are eye sores in our community, not to mention the many hazards associated with them. The city has limited resources to act upon such problems given our lack of zoning, but we will look at our options during the next city council meeting. Given certain circumstances, we may have the ability to clean up these lots and tack on the cost of cleanup to their property taxes. We have and will be contacting these owners requesting they act, but if anyone knows them, please encourage these owners to clean these lots and help keep Guin beautiful.
We distributed approximately $26,000($13k each) of our city tax money to Guin Elementary School and Marion County High School as part of the quarterly disbursement. The Council also approved $12,000 from the discretionary fund to allow the elementary school to purchase new playground equipment and another $4000($2k each) used as start up funds for the new school year. The new playground equipment will replace a piece of old equipment which had become a possible safety hazard. Mr. Nelson gave us an update on the progress they're making in several areas including our new distance learning lab. This lab will allow our students access to many opportunities not available previously, including access to a number of advanced placement courses. It's great to see our hard earned tax dollars going back to our community allowing our students opportunities they may not have had otherwise.
One final note: we are working toward obtaining ownership of the old Guin Manufacturing(Healthtex) building downtown. Once these issues are worked out, we'll be free to bring that building down and create opportunities for commercial development. There are several investors who have expressed interest in locating in the area now occupied by the Guin Manufacturing building.
Coach David Adkins will be moving to the maintenance director's position leaving his post as park director. The Park and Recreation Board has recommended moving Zane Miles to park director, but per city policy, the job will be posted in-house for 7 days to allow city employees an opportunity to apply. After those 7 days, the council may choose to accept the Park board's recommendation or interview anyone within the city who might be qualified for the position. Given Zane's background, it's likely the Council will accept the board's recommendation. Zane has a tremendous work ethic and will, no doubt, do an excellent job. If the board's request is approved as expected, salaries will be adjusted accordingly and will ultimately save the city approximately $4000 per year.
We discussed several areas of the city where illegal dumping has been a problem. One is along 13th Avenue and another along 3rd Street. These areas are becoming a nuisance and can be a health hazard. And we continue to have a problem with the old Cotton Bend Apartments. The current owner refuses to clean the grounds or repair any of the visible structural damage to the building. All of these areas are eye sores in our community, not to mention the many hazards associated with them. The city has limited resources to act upon such problems given our lack of zoning, but we will look at our options during the next city council meeting. Given certain circumstances, we may have the ability to clean up these lots and tack on the cost of cleanup to their property taxes. We have and will be contacting these owners requesting they act, but if anyone knows them, please encourage these owners to clean these lots and help keep Guin beautiful.
We distributed approximately $26,000($13k each) of our city tax money to Guin Elementary School and Marion County High School as part of the quarterly disbursement. The Council also approved $12,000 from the discretionary fund to allow the elementary school to purchase new playground equipment and another $4000($2k each) used as start up funds for the new school year. The new playground equipment will replace a piece of old equipment which had become a possible safety hazard. Mr. Nelson gave us an update on the progress they're making in several areas including our new distance learning lab. This lab will allow our students access to many opportunities not available previously, including access to a number of advanced placement courses. It's great to see our hard earned tax dollars going back to our community allowing our students opportunities they may not have had otherwise.
One final note: we are working toward obtaining ownership of the old Guin Manufacturing(Healthtex) building downtown. Once these issues are worked out, we'll be free to bring that building down and create opportunities for commercial development. There are several investors who have expressed interest in locating in the area now occupied by the Guin Manufacturing building.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Saturday Afternoon Notes
Again, it's amazing to me that candidates don't feel secure enough in their qualifications and ideas that they have to blatantly lie about issues affecting our city. I've been told by several citizens of Guin that one mayoral candidate claims that the Tombigbee Electric Cooperative will move outside the city if the incumbent mayor is elected. This claim is a scare tactic and has absolutely no foundation. A source close to the company has verified this to be just another falsehood used by the candidate as a way of scaring voters to elect him to office. Unfortunately, we've had to endure deception at many levels of government through the years, but that's not something we've dealt with in our community. Let's not start it now. Know the issues, know the candidates, and call them out when they attempt to pull you into their web of lies.
There's one point of clarification which needs to be made about the Magna project. There still seems to be confusion about the course Magna has chosen to take in relation to building a North American automobile manufacturer. Some believe that Magna chose the site in Virginia, who was our closest competitor during the site selection process, over our site in Guin. That is not the case at all. Magna contracts with several of the world's largest automakers to make vehicles that those automakers cannot make efficiently. In our current economy, those automakers have not yet signed contracts with Magna to build their products. Magna still believes that will happen, but not until later this year. So, no site has been selected as Magna is still working through those contracts. But, if these automakers do sign those contracts, there will be a need on Magna's part to be closer to their key customers and suppliers located in the northern part of the country. Given today's fuel prices, they can't justify shipping product 1200 miles across country. This has even knocked out the Virginia site as a possible location for their project. Plain and simple, the economy cost Guin an opportunity to bring Magna here. Nothing more.
Finally, thank you all for your interest in my site. There's been a lot of activity here this week and that's proof to me that you are concerned about the future of Guin. Please continue to pass a link to the site on to other members of our community so we can all share our ideas for a better Guin.
There's one point of clarification which needs to be made about the Magna project. There still seems to be confusion about the course Magna has chosen to take in relation to building a North American automobile manufacturer. Some believe that Magna chose the site in Virginia, who was our closest competitor during the site selection process, over our site in Guin. That is not the case at all. Magna contracts with several of the world's largest automakers to make vehicles that those automakers cannot make efficiently. In our current economy, those automakers have not yet signed contracts with Magna to build their products. Magna still believes that will happen, but not until later this year. So, no site has been selected as Magna is still working through those contracts. But, if these automakers do sign those contracts, there will be a need on Magna's part to be closer to their key customers and suppliers located in the northern part of the country. Given today's fuel prices, they can't justify shipping product 1200 miles across country. This has even knocked out the Virginia site as a possible location for their project. Plain and simple, the economy cost Guin an opportunity to bring Magna here. Nothing more.
Finally, thank you all for your interest in my site. There's been a lot of activity here this week and that's proof to me that you are concerned about the future of Guin. Please continue to pass a link to the site on to other members of our community so we can all share our ideas for a better Guin.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Rumors And Lies
It's inevitable that with any election, there's going to be some candidates who feel the need to spread rumors and lies to help themselves get elected. In some cases, this is based strictly on ignorance, but in most cases, those candidates know they lack the leadership skills and ideas to defeat their opponents, so they attempt to tear them down through rumors and lies. And as you may suspect or have already heard, we are no different here in Guin in that some of our city council candidates and one of our mayoral candidates have based their entire platforms on fiction.
So, as a service to voters of this city, I want to take a few moments to debunk some of the fiction you may be hearing by providing you with actual fact related to the hot rumors of the day.
Rumor/Fiction: There is money missing from the city's general fund.
Fact: We have two accounting firms who perform audits for us each year. Those audits provide us with a detailed listing of each and every asset the city has, the amount of money brought into our accounts and where it came from, and the amount of money going out of the city's accounts and how it's being spent. The mayor and city council members also receive a monthly report outlining our financial situation for the month and how we compared to the previous year. So, if there were money missing from any account the city owns, it would have been noted a long time ago.
Rumor/Fiction: As mayor, I'm going to clean house and fire certain city personnel.
Fact: In any government leadership position, there are checks and balances in place to prevent abuse of power. This would be considered one of those situations. Whether or not some of our current candidates realize it, there are certain positions within City Hall which are appointed by the city council and the mayor cannot remove those who are appointed without cause. Those positions include city clerk, city court clerk, police chief, city attorney, and fire chief. A city council may choose to appoint someone other than who is in those positions now or they may choose to keep them as they are. Either way, the mayor has no authority to fire those people without cause. Furthermore, those salaries are set by the city council and can be changed only at the will of the council, not the mayor alone.
Rumor/Fiction: The mayor of Guin is a part time mayor and his salary is too high for a part time position.
Fact: There is no such thing as a part time mayor. When a mayor is elected to office, he holds that position 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for at least four years. The mayor of Guin makes approximately $18,000 per year. Personally, given the importance of the position and the amount of work involved, especially related to recruiting industry, $18k is way less than what he or she should be paid. Unfortunately, our resources don't allow us to pay our mayor what he or she should earn. Make no mistake though, no matter who's elected to that position, I would expect that he performs those duties as Mayor Segraves has by putting his heart and soul into it and doing anything possible to move Guin forward. If a candidate feels the position is part time, he might need to reconsider his commitment to the city of Guin. At such a critical point in Guin's history, voters need to demand a mayor who is willing to give an overtime effort for a full time job.
Rumor/Fiction: I have three prospects who are interested in opening a business in Guin.
Fact: If someone truly loves this city and wants to see it succeed, he or she would not wait until they are elected to office to bring business prospects forward. Personally, that shows me a little about their integrity. They're more interested in how those alleged prospects can help them get elected than how they might help Guin grow.
So, as you can see, the rumor mill has been running rampant. Part of my goal for this blog is to do just as I have tonight and refute many of the rumors and lies you'll hear over the next month as we elect our city leaders. As I hear them, I'll bring them to this forum and will always address them with fact. If you hear more, please let me know and I'll be glad to address them as they flare up. Integrity is a characteristic we should all expect from our potential leaders. We all need to remember that anyone who would lie to you to get elected will ultimately do the same after he is elected to office. Are these the people we want directing us over the next four years? Not me.
Please feel free to pass a link to my blog on to your friends around town. I think it's important for us to inform everyone of the issues important to our community and this is my way of doing that.
So, as a service to voters of this city, I want to take a few moments to debunk some of the fiction you may be hearing by providing you with actual fact related to the hot rumors of the day.
Rumor/Fiction: There is money missing from the city's general fund.
Fact: We have two accounting firms who perform audits for us each year. Those audits provide us with a detailed listing of each and every asset the city has, the amount of money brought into our accounts and where it came from, and the amount of money going out of the city's accounts and how it's being spent. The mayor and city council members also receive a monthly report outlining our financial situation for the month and how we compared to the previous year. So, if there were money missing from any account the city owns, it would have been noted a long time ago.
Rumor/Fiction: As mayor, I'm going to clean house and fire certain city personnel.
Fact: In any government leadership position, there are checks and balances in place to prevent abuse of power. This would be considered one of those situations. Whether or not some of our current candidates realize it, there are certain positions within City Hall which are appointed by the city council and the mayor cannot remove those who are appointed without cause. Those positions include city clerk, city court clerk, police chief, city attorney, and fire chief. A city council may choose to appoint someone other than who is in those positions now or they may choose to keep them as they are. Either way, the mayor has no authority to fire those people without cause. Furthermore, those salaries are set by the city council and can be changed only at the will of the council, not the mayor alone.
Rumor/Fiction: The mayor of Guin is a part time mayor and his salary is too high for a part time position.
Fact: There is no such thing as a part time mayor. When a mayor is elected to office, he holds that position 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for at least four years. The mayor of Guin makes approximately $18,000 per year. Personally, given the importance of the position and the amount of work involved, especially related to recruiting industry, $18k is way less than what he or she should be paid. Unfortunately, our resources don't allow us to pay our mayor what he or she should earn. Make no mistake though, no matter who's elected to that position, I would expect that he performs those duties as Mayor Segraves has by putting his heart and soul into it and doing anything possible to move Guin forward. If a candidate feels the position is part time, he might need to reconsider his commitment to the city of Guin. At such a critical point in Guin's history, voters need to demand a mayor who is willing to give an overtime effort for a full time job.
Rumor/Fiction: I have three prospects who are interested in opening a business in Guin.
Fact: If someone truly loves this city and wants to see it succeed, he or she would not wait until they are elected to office to bring business prospects forward. Personally, that shows me a little about their integrity. They're more interested in how those alleged prospects can help them get elected than how they might help Guin grow.
So, as you can see, the rumor mill has been running rampant. Part of my goal for this blog is to do just as I have tonight and refute many of the rumors and lies you'll hear over the next month as we elect our city leaders. As I hear them, I'll bring them to this forum and will always address them with fact. If you hear more, please let me know and I'll be glad to address them as they flare up. Integrity is a characteristic we should all expect from our potential leaders. We all need to remember that anyone who would lie to you to get elected will ultimately do the same after he is elected to office. Are these the people we want directing us over the next four years? Not me.
Please feel free to pass a link to my blog on to your friends around town. I think it's important for us to inform everyone of the issues important to our community and this is my way of doing that.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Final List Of Qualifiers
Here is the final list of qualifiers for Guin's municipal elections on August 26th:
Mayor:
Phil Segraves
Ken Randolph
City Council:
Myself
Elaine Junkin
Phillip Garrison
Mineo Lindsey
Mike Hawkins
Cerell Metcalf
Tim Pierce
Bill Green
Steve Lolley
Brian Wideman
Boozer Pinkerton
Gary Randolph
Randall Guin
Kevin Williams
Now, it's time for the voters to decide. With each and every candidate, I believe you'll find one of two types of people. There are some who are forward thinkers and want the very best for Guin. They see the big picture and have a vision for Guin. One that allows our children and grandchildren to return home to work here and raise their families here. There are others, though, who would rather spend their time telling us what's wrong with Guin and why they believe Guin can't succeed. If you've followed me over my last four years, I think I've proven that I'm one of those guys who sees a bright future for this city and will do anything to help this community be successful. I truly believe it's important for our community to determine which of these candidates are progressive thinkers and vote them into office. If we don't, we may just watch as our neighbors take advantage of the opportunities to grow their cities along newly established I-22 while we spin our wheels over the next four years.
Mayor:
Phil Segraves
Ken Randolph
City Council:
Myself
Elaine Junkin
Phillip Garrison
Mineo Lindsey
Mike Hawkins
Cerell Metcalf
Tim Pierce
Bill Green
Steve Lolley
Brian Wideman
Boozer Pinkerton
Gary Randolph
Randall Guin
Kevin Williams
Now, it's time for the voters to decide. With each and every candidate, I believe you'll find one of two types of people. There are some who are forward thinkers and want the very best for Guin. They see the big picture and have a vision for Guin. One that allows our children and grandchildren to return home to work here and raise their families here. There are others, though, who would rather spend their time telling us what's wrong with Guin and why they believe Guin can't succeed. If you've followed me over my last four years, I think I've proven that I'm one of those guys who sees a bright future for this city and will do anything to help this community be successful. I truly believe it's important for our community to determine which of these candidates are progressive thinkers and vote them into office. If we don't, we may just watch as our neighbors take advantage of the opportunities to grow their cities along newly established I-22 while we spin our wheels over the next four years.
VW Plant Goes To Chattanooga
Volkswagen chooses Chattanooga over the Alabama site in Limestone County many thought would land the project. By the way, the site chosen in Chattanooga and the site in Limestone County were sites which Magna eliminated for their project while Guin remained at the top of the list. So for those naysayers who believe we can't compete for large industry, this is further proof of how competitive we really are.
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/07/update_vw_calls_chattanooga_ex.html
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/07/update_vw_calls_chattanooga_ex.html
Monday, July 14, 2008
Guin Park and Recreation
As I do many spring and summer nights, I spent the evening at our local park watching Heather play a little softball. While I'm normally out there myself during the summer, I decided to take a break this year to play a little more golf. It's always fun, though, to get out to the park and fellowship with others and enjoy the beautiful park we have here in Guin. There are very few cities the size of Guin who are blessed with such beautiful facilities that we have in this community.
As many of you already know, our park and recreation department services three softball fields, three baseball fields, a pool/water park, batting cages, and our newly built Collins Life Center. This also includes our beautiful high school baseball and softball fields. Through our sports leagues, camps, pool projects, and lunch programs, they are able to serve thousands of people each year affecting citizens of all ages. What many don't realize is the number of jobs the park also provides to our young adults each year. Through the years, the park/pool has employed hundreds of our youth teaching them valuable lessons they take with them as they develop their professional careers. Just this summer, the park has put approximately 55 of our young adults to work.
As a community leader, funding is always an issue we have to be concerned with and traditionally parks in small towns have never been money making ventures. Our park, though, has done well budgeting through the years and has even reduced their budgets each year over the last four years without diminishing the services they provide. While it's understood that our park will never make the city wealthy, the services they provide to our community by keeping our kids off the streets and away from so many horrible things is priceless.
I truly am proud of what we have to offer our community through the services our park and recreation department offers. If you haven't visited in a while, please take time to go take in a game or just stop by and have someone show you around. Zane, David, Lori, and others would always be willing to show you what they have to offer.
As many of you already know, our park and recreation department services three softball fields, three baseball fields, a pool/water park, batting cages, and our newly built Collins Life Center. This also includes our beautiful high school baseball and softball fields. Through our sports leagues, camps, pool projects, and lunch programs, they are able to serve thousands of people each year affecting citizens of all ages. What many don't realize is the number of jobs the park also provides to our young adults each year. Through the years, the park/pool has employed hundreds of our youth teaching them valuable lessons they take with them as they develop their professional careers. Just this summer, the park has put approximately 55 of our young adults to work.
As a community leader, funding is always an issue we have to be concerned with and traditionally parks in small towns have never been money making ventures. Our park, though, has done well budgeting through the years and has even reduced their budgets each year over the last four years without diminishing the services they provide. While it's understood that our park will never make the city wealthy, the services they provide to our community by keeping our kids off the streets and away from so many horrible things is priceless.
I truly am proud of what we have to offer our community through the services our park and recreation department offers. If you haven't visited in a while, please take time to go take in a game or just stop by and have someone show you around. Zane, David, Lori, and others would always be willing to show you what they have to offer.
Qualified Candidates As Of July 14th
With election qualifying ending tomorrow, here is an updated list of candidates for both city council and mayor of Guin.
Mayor:
Phil Segraves
Ken Randolph
Council:
Myself
Bill Green
Tim Pierce
Elaine Junkin
Brian Wideman
Steve Lolley
Cerell Metcalf
Mineo Lindsey
Mike Hawkins
Gary Randolph
Randall Guin
Mayor:
Phil Segraves
Ken Randolph
Council:
Myself
Bill Green
Tim Pierce
Elaine Junkin
Brian Wideman
Steve Lolley
Cerell Metcalf
Mineo Lindsey
Mike Hawkins
Gary Randolph
Randall Guin
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Toyota Prius To Be Built In Tupelo Plant
It's too early to tell how this might affect the number of suppliers needed in our area, but it was announced today that the Toyota plant outside of Tupelo would produce the Prius. The Toyota Prius is the most popular hybrid vehicle on the road today. Read more about it in the links below.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25621408/
http://money.cnn.com/2008/07/10/news/companies/Toyota_manufacturing.ap/index.htm?postversion=2008071010
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25621408/
http://money.cnn.com/2008/07/10/news/companies/Toyota_manufacturing.ap/index.htm?postversion=2008071010
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Qualified Candidates
As of today, there are 8 candidates qualified to run for a seat on the city council in August, while one mayoral candidate has qualified. The city council candidates thus far are:
Myself
Bill Green
Brian Wideman
Tim Pierce
Elaine Junkin
Cerell Metcalf
Gary Randolph
Steve Lolley
In the mayor's race, Ken Randolph is the only person qualified, while Mayor Segraves is expected to qualify in the coming days. There are also several other prospective council members who've been rumored to throw their hat in the ring before the qulifying deadline.
It's very important that we all know the issues affecting our community and how the above candidates stand on those issues so that we may vote intelligently and in a way that would best benefit the future of Guin. Some of us have a voting record which can give one an idea of our position on those issues, while we'll have to quiz the others to find out what's important to them and how they might move (or not move) Guin forward. Whatever the case may be, this is a critical election for Guin's future. The decisions we make in August could very well affect Guin's future for many years to come.
On another note, there is a good commentary in today's Journal Record on the Magna project and the regional cooperation that allowed us to be competitive during the selection process. It's not in their on-line version, so you'll need to pick up a copy to read it. It's well worth your time.
Myself
Bill Green
Brian Wideman
Tim Pierce
Elaine Junkin
Cerell Metcalf
Gary Randolph
Steve Lolley
In the mayor's race, Ken Randolph is the only person qualified, while Mayor Segraves is expected to qualify in the coming days. There are also several other prospective council members who've been rumored to throw their hat in the ring before the qulifying deadline.
It's very important that we all know the issues affecting our community and how the above candidates stand on those issues so that we may vote intelligently and in a way that would best benefit the future of Guin. Some of us have a voting record which can give one an idea of our position on those issues, while we'll have to quiz the others to find out what's important to them and how they might move (or not move) Guin forward. Whatever the case may be, this is a critical election for Guin's future. The decisions we make in August could very well affect Guin's future for many years to come.
On another note, there is a good commentary in today's Journal Record on the Magna project and the regional cooperation that allowed us to be competitive during the selection process. It's not in their on-line version, so you'll need to pick up a copy to read it. It's well worth your time.
Monday, July 7, 2008
City News
Tonight, we received notice of another $267,000+ in state grant money to finish our sidewalk and lighting project we've worked on over the last several years. The project will cover the area now used by the old Health Tex building. This stretch of sidewalk and lighting will finalize this phase of our downtown beautification project. We have two years to complete the project and will attempt to allow the on-going Brownsfield grant to run it's course before beginning work. Once the Brownsfield project is finalized, we should be able to remove the Health Tex building from it's foundation. When the sidewalk project is completed, sidewalks will encompass the entire downtown area giving pedestrians access to the High School on the north side, the city park, pool, and water slide on the west side, the railroad tracks on the south side, and 3M on the east side.
This beautification project has allowed more of our residents an opportunity to enjoy our downtown area and has made it more attractive to potential commercial development. Heather and I use the downtown sidewalks a few nights each week to exercise and are always joined by a number of residents who are using them for the same purposes or just out for an evening stroll.
In other news, we approved our portion of a matching grant the Marion County Drug Task Force uses each year for funding their operation. Unfortunately, we use their services more than we'd like, but they always do a great job and we are very willing to do our part. Also, in the coming weeks, look for one of our new fire trucks to be delivered and ready for use. Our volunteer fire department does an excellent job for our community and we are proud to finally bring in a new truck. And with the grant money we received several months ago, we were able to order a second new truck and new personal equipment for our firefighters.
And finally, in tonight's meeting, Mayor Segraves gave us and those in attendance a quick rundown of the sequence of events over the last two years which led us to the Magna announcement last week. Some of that's already been discussed, but I'm still amazed at how large this project was and how much work went into it. With local and state funding, there was over 50 million dollars tied up in this project. While we didn't land it, I feel confident the exposure received and the ground work we laid will ultimately payoff for this region in high paying jobs and increased revenue.
This beautification project has allowed more of our residents an opportunity to enjoy our downtown area and has made it more attractive to potential commercial development. Heather and I use the downtown sidewalks a few nights each week to exercise and are always joined by a number of residents who are using them for the same purposes or just out for an evening stroll.
In other news, we approved our portion of a matching grant the Marion County Drug Task Force uses each year for funding their operation. Unfortunately, we use their services more than we'd like, but they always do a great job and we are very willing to do our part. Also, in the coming weeks, look for one of our new fire trucks to be delivered and ready for use. Our volunteer fire department does an excellent job for our community and we are proud to finally bring in a new truck. And with the grant money we received several months ago, we were able to order a second new truck and new personal equipment for our firefighters.
And finally, in tonight's meeting, Mayor Segraves gave us and those in attendance a quick rundown of the sequence of events over the last two years which led us to the Magna announcement last week. Some of that's already been discussed, but I'm still amazed at how large this project was and how much work went into it. With local and state funding, there was over 50 million dollars tied up in this project. While we didn't land it, I feel confident the exposure received and the ground work we laid will ultimately payoff for this region in high paying jobs and increased revenue.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Journal Record Articles On The Magna Project
Check out http://www.myjrpaper.com/ for more detailed information on the Magna project. The Journal Record interviewed several of the project's major players including Neal Wade, director of the Alabama Development Office, and Mayor Phil Segraves.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Great July 4th Celebration In Guin Tonight
Heather and I enjoyed another great July 4th celebtration in Guin this evening. We're blessed to be able to enjoy such a great display each and every year. When I moved to the area 11 years ago, it was hard to believe that Guin could put on a display that competed with the larger cities around the state, but after seeing the show for the first time, I was very impressed. And it's gotten better each year.
Pyro Productions, the company who puts the show on for us, is based out of Birmingham and does approximately 50 displays around the country for the 4th of July holiday. This includes the "Thunder On The Mountain" show put on each year in Birmingham. They do a tremendous job for us. WKXM 97.7 out of Winfield also worked with the production company this year to synchronize the show with patriotic music. This was an element we had never used before, but I thought it added positively to the show and something we look forward to doing again for future shows.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
Dissapointing Day For Northwest Alabama.....But Many Reasons To Be Excited
As you may have read by now or will be reading soon, our region has been released from the large economic development project that we've been pursuing over the last two years. Automotive manufacturer, Magna International has expressed interest in building a manufacturing facility in North America and Guin's site on I-22 has been a leader in the site selection process from the very beginning. Unfortunately, the current economic conditions facing the automotive market has forced Magna to look elsewhere. With increased fuel prices, it's imperative that manufacturers remain relatively close to their suppliers and customers to efficiently produce their product. While we don't know who these suppliers and customers are, it is assumed that their locations are in the northern part of the country essentially eliminating us from consideration if fuel prices and economic conditions remain as they are now. There is always a possibility that conditions change and we, again, become a leader in the site selection process, but, in the mean time, we can and will actively market our city and our sites to potential industry.
It, of course, has been a disappointing day and one none of us wanted to see, but there are so many reasons to be excited about Guin's future and our potential to bring high paying jobs to our area. With the exposure we've gained through competing for the Magna project, we've opened our area up to many economic development projects we may not have competed for just a few years ago. Our state leaders, including Governor Bob Riley, have applauded our efforts to come together as a region in pursuit of this Magna facility. There were 25+ entities, including municipalities, county commissions, educational institutions, and corporate partners, who pledged their political and financial support for this effort. That was something that had never been done in this region. We firmly believe that without that support, this area would have never been considered for such a large project. If that kind of cooperation remains in place, Guin and our region are well positioned to succeed in bringing large industry to our area. And with the need to develop Tier I and Tier II suppliers close to their facility in Tupelo, Mississippi, Toyota will be looking to Guin and Northwest Alabama for sites which could possibly suit their needs.
One more note before I close. There are many people who worked very hard to put us in a position to land this project. Those included Governor Bob Riley, the Alabama Development Office and it's director Neal Wade, Alabama Power, many of our region's council members, county commissioners, mayors, and community leaders. There is one person, though, I want to especially recognize and that's Mayor Phil Segraves. This man loves Guin and there's no one who wants for this area to prosper and grow like he does. He poured his heart and soul into this project. He put thousands of hours into this pursuit and traveled all over the world trying to persuade those decision makers that Guin was the place they needed to be. Considering today's disappointing news, it would be understandable for him to give up and take some time to rest, but it's not in his nature. Phil Segraves will be out tomorrow working to bring industry to our community. There were many stakeholders in this project, but Mayor Segraves drove this project and would never let it die. That's the kind of commitment Guin needs as we move forward. We have two choices as a community - we can be happy with the status quo or we can be progressive in our efforts to grow our community and guarantee a future for our families. I choose to follow the example our mayor has given us and will do everything in my power to move us forward.
It, of course, has been a disappointing day and one none of us wanted to see, but there are so many reasons to be excited about Guin's future and our potential to bring high paying jobs to our area. With the exposure we've gained through competing for the Magna project, we've opened our area up to many economic development projects we may not have competed for just a few years ago. Our state leaders, including Governor Bob Riley, have applauded our efforts to come together as a region in pursuit of this Magna facility. There were 25+ entities, including municipalities, county commissions, educational institutions, and corporate partners, who pledged their political and financial support for this effort. That was something that had never been done in this region. We firmly believe that without that support, this area would have never been considered for such a large project. If that kind of cooperation remains in place, Guin and our region are well positioned to succeed in bringing large industry to our area. And with the need to develop Tier I and Tier II suppliers close to their facility in Tupelo, Mississippi, Toyota will be looking to Guin and Northwest Alabama for sites which could possibly suit their needs.
One more note before I close. There are many people who worked very hard to put us in a position to land this project. Those included Governor Bob Riley, the Alabama Development Office and it's director Neal Wade, Alabama Power, many of our region's council members, county commissioners, mayors, and community leaders. There is one person, though, I want to especially recognize and that's Mayor Phil Segraves. This man loves Guin and there's no one who wants for this area to prosper and grow like he does. He poured his heart and soul into this project. He put thousands of hours into this pursuit and traveled all over the world trying to persuade those decision makers that Guin was the place they needed to be. Considering today's disappointing news, it would be understandable for him to give up and take some time to rest, but it's not in his nature. Phil Segraves will be out tomorrow working to bring industry to our community. There were many stakeholders in this project, but Mayor Segraves drove this project and would never let it die. That's the kind of commitment Guin needs as we move forward. We have two choices as a community - we can be happy with the status quo or we can be progressive in our efforts to grow our community and guarantee a future for our families. I choose to follow the example our mayor has given us and will do everything in my power to move us forward.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Welcome To My Blog
Welcome to my blog! As you might gather from the title, my name is Bobby Bellew and I have served on Guin, Alabama's city council for the last four years. It's again election time and I'll be seeking re-election to another four year post in the same position. These are exciting times in Northwest Alabama as Corridor X becomes I-22 and Guin has positioned itself as a leader among communities seeking to prosper from the economic development we'll see over these next four years. I truly believe we've laid a solid foundation for success and it's important to me to see us, as a community, do everything within our power to allow us to prosper and grow. I believe we can do all of this while retaining the quality of life we all enjoy now. It is my goal to raise a family here and retire here. It's also my goal to see all our children and grandchildren have an opportunity to live and succeed in this community. So, to do this, it's very important that we all form educated opinions about the issues of our city and elect those leaders who are forward thinkers and those who will bring accolades to our community rather than reproach. I feel that I've proven myself to be a progressive thinker and one who cares about the future of our city. I'm asking those in our community to vote for progress in August and again elect me to the position you entrusted me to four years ago.
I've created this site for many reasons, but it's my hope that I can use this as a way of informing our community of those issues facing our city today and those we might face in the coming years. I also want to use it as a way of allowing you to pass on to me your opinions on the issues you feel are important as we move forward. It's important that we all remain informed so that we elect those who truly want to see Guin prosper and, as elected officials, we do the will of those who have elected us. Feel free to pass on your opinions or issues through the comments section below each post. I'll be reading them on a daily basis and will try to reply as soon as possible.
I've created this site for many reasons, but it's my hope that I can use this as a way of informing our community of those issues facing our city today and those we might face in the coming years. I also want to use it as a way of allowing you to pass on to me your opinions on the issues you feel are important as we move forward. It's important that we all remain informed so that we elect those who truly want to see Guin prosper and, as elected officials, we do the will of those who have elected us. Feel free to pass on your opinions or issues through the comments section below each post. I'll be reading them on a daily basis and will try to reply as soon as possible.
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