Elberta Considers Sales Tax Hike

Serving the greater NORTH, CENTRAL AND SOUTH BALDWIN communities Foley man travels around the world PAGE 8 Pick an event for your family to try The Onlooker PAGE 5 AUGUST 16, 2017 | GulfCoastNewsToday.com | 75¢ Elberta considers sales tax hike By CLIFF MCCOLLUM increase is necessary to have “A one cent sales tax is not tax is something that would be [email protected] money to run this town,” former going to hurt me in Elberta,” predominantly charged to snow- Mayor Marvin Williams, owner Stanley said. “I really do think it birds. I suggest that before we Tensions flared during last of the Roadkill Cafe, said. “But I will hurt potential new businesses raise taxes across the board for all week’s Elberta Town Council don’t think we can live with it. I coming in, though.” the citizens.” work session, as the council dis- think it will drive people away. I Former Councilman John Conti Councilman Michael Hudson cussed a possible one percent think we ought to extinguish all urged the council to consider said his math on a possible rental sales tax increase to help raise avenues of approach before we other means of taxation as a way tax for the town would only raise money for needed road upgrades come to that.” to raise revenue. about $28,000 per year, which and a possible Elberta sports com- Steve Stanley, a longtime El- “I’d like to reiterate the point would not fully meet the infra- #Foley plex. berta resident, said he knew the made to this council and the previ- structure needs facing the town. Several residents got up to town needed new revenue but cau- ous council to consider a rental Mayor Jim Hamby said town speak against the proposal. tioned against the potential sales tax, which the rest of the county Rocks “I understand that a sales tax tax increase. is doing,” Conti said. “That rental SEE TAX, PAGE 37 #FoleyRocks is the lat- est craze in town! Here’s some captions of a few of the newest additions that have been hidden around town and are wait- ing to be found and rehid! To learn more about the Foley Rockscks Project and to find the rules for partici-- pation, be suree to visit #FoleyRocks on Facebook. PHOTO SUBMITTED PHOTOS SUBMITTED Counting down to Coastal South Baldwin’s Relay For Life By JESSICA VAUGHN Society Relay For Life movement is the world’s tion to and from treatment. As of March 2017, [email protected] largest fundraising event to fight every cancer the ACS is currently funding cancer research in every community.” The events are held to grants totaling $7,032,500, and they have worked FOLEY — The American Cancer Society’s raise awareness in the community, to acquire with more than 300 health care systems to help Relay For Life in Foley is coming up, and every- crucial funds that are used to support people more people prevent cancer or find it early, one can join to help make a difference in the living in the community, and prevention re- provide patient and provider education, and lives of those who are fighting against cancer, search. The ACS aims to make an impact in the improve care. know someone who is, or the medical facilities lives of those who are currently battling cancer, who are researching new ways to help put an those who may face a diagnosis in the future, THE EVENT end to the suffering forever. and those who may avoid a diagnosis altogether For 2017, the event will take place at Heritage This year, Relay For Life will be bigger and thanks to education, prevention, and early de- Park in Foley, on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 2-8 better than ever, as the South Baldwin Relay tection. p.m., with a luminaria at 7:15 p.m. The Coastal and the Gulf Coast Relay are coming together So far, ACS has funded 47 Nobel prize win- South Baldwin team will be decorating the park as the Relay For Life of Coastal South Baldwin. ning researchers, and the Mobile facility offers a week prior to the event, so be sure to look for “We’re trying to bring the communities to- many benefits to those suffering from cancer, the purple ribbons that will be tied around the gether,” said Kathy O’Neill with the American such as Look Good Feel Better classes, a wig lamp posts throughout the park as a reminder Cancer Society (ACS). room with free wigs, and help with both hotel According to ACS: “The American Cancer stays for out of town patients and transporta- SEE RELAY, PAGE 2 9th Avenue to be extended for new Foley Elementary By JESSICA VAUGHN However, recently an op- and out of the new build- with the School Board to in this development. While [email protected] portunity presented itself ing.” place the new school in the council is prepared DEATHSDEATHS PAGE 21 that’s too good to pass up. Currently, Foley has a the ideal location would be to work with the School FOLEY — Foley will “The School Board an- placeholder for the Ninth past. Board, the obstacle left to John Hadley Bidney have a brand new elemen- nounced where they are Avenue extension in the “In a perfect world, the them is that of the Ninth Mary Mae Farrow tary school for the 2019 going to build new addi- long-term capital plan, a School Board is looking Avenue extension, as it ef- Helen Mosley Kelly year, and along with it an tions and what they will plan that includes going to have the facility open fects the exact location and Jane Ann McPherson extension to Ninth Avenue. be building, and we’re on after a grant in order to in the fall of 2019,” Mayor access to the new building. Wallace W. Milham The Foley council had their list to add a building complete the work. The John Koniar said. “If they “The dilemma we have William E. Prescott IV plans to extend Ninth Av- here in Foley,” said Wayne downside to this route get approval.” right now is the School Leonard Allen Sanneman enue during the 2019 fiscal Trawick, Foley Council would be that certain This would coincide Board needs to know if we year in place, and the need Marbeth J. Shay President. “Ninth Avenue grant programs may not with the fiscal budget for intend to put that road in,” for the extension has been would be important to be available in 2019, and the year 2019, giving Foley on their radar for a while. them in getting traffic in the prospect of working an even further advantage SEE EXTENSION, PAGE 2 INDEX Gulf BALDWIN LIVING, 7 OUT & ABOUT, 26 Coast CLASSIFIED, 10 PUZZLES, 35 Media HEALTH, 23 SPORTS, 14 VOLUME 109 • ISSUE 31 LEGALS, 28 TV LISTINGS, 17 1 SECTION • 40 PAGES OPINION, 12 2 • The Onlooker • August 16, 2017 • Gulf Coast Media City applies for grant to make sewer system improvements By JOHN UNDERWOOD drainage improvements ing and final inspection, oldest areas of our city for these residents.” Aug. 7 meeting included: [email protected] to the west side of the city, with an estimated total where high concentra- Stacy McKean with • A resolution autho- including areas of Penn- cost of $239,100. tions of low to moderate Grant Management of rizing submission of the ROBERTSDALE — The sylvania Street, Nebraska Drainage improvements income persons reside,” Fairhope addressed FY17 CDBG Sewer Rehab city of Robertsdale has Street, Palmer Street, St. call for drainage ditch Murphy said in a letter council members at the Grant. applied for nearly half a Paul Street and Racine improvements and pipe in- to Kenneth A. Boswell, Aug. 7 meeting, stating • A resolution award- million dollars in federal Street. stallation, drainage caps, director of the Alabama that the council needed ing the grant preparation grant funds to make drain- Sewer rehabilitation junction boxes and yard Department of Economic to pass three resolutions and administration of the age improvements and improvements call for pre- inlets with a total cost of and Community Affairs. in order to apply for a grant (if funded) to Grant sewer rehabilitation. liminary inspection and $157,350. “The failing public sewer $450,000 Community De- Management. The project, which will cleaning, 8-inch and 10- “The city is request- infrastructure in these velopment Block Grant • A resolution awarding cost an estimated $495,000, inch cured-in-place liner, ing these funds in order neighborhoods is creat- (CDBG). the engineering services will include sanitary lateral reinstatement, to provide sewer reha- ing a public health haz- Resolutions passed for the grant (if funded) to sewer rehabilitation and point repairs, manhole lin- bilitation in some of the ard and inconveniences unanimously during the Civil Southeast. not only be beneficial to as opposed to later are in these projects being done receives the letter indicat- helps with the overcrowd- EXTENSION the school, but also to the the same range as the pro- together, because obvi- ing the council’s agreeance ing at the current Foley CONTINUED FROM 1 residents and businesses posed plans, so the cost will ously you need a road to to accelerate the Ninth Av- Elementary.” Trawick said. “They’ve got near the location. not be an issue. go to any building that we enue extension, it will just The School Board is look- to orient the drawings on Due to the timing on the City Administer Mike build.” be a matter of working out ing to greenlight the project possibly facing the building project, with the construc- Thompson is currently “It would be a good in- the timing between the two during December 2017 or to the south, towards Ninth tion not beginning until working on a letter to the frastructure addition to projects to make sure they January 2018, and comple- Avenue, or they’re going to early next year, the council School Board from the the southwest quadrant,” coincide.

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