City of Pell City partners with LMLPA for Boo Bash on Logan Martin 2024

The third-annual Boo Bash on Logan Martin takes to our local waters on Oct. 12, 2024. The City of Pell City is proud to be a 2024 partner of this year’s event as it seeks to engage our community while supporting an impactful nonprofit organization, the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association (LMLPA).

Pell City Parks and Recreation Employees gear up for Boo Bash 2024 and stop on the route at Lakeside Park. The City of Pell City partnered with the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association for the event on Oct. 12.

In this article

  • Boo Bash 2024 supports the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association
  • LMLPA / City Parks & Recreation / Library partner for Lakeside Park Stop
  • St. Clair Airport Aviation Career Day Flyovers
Click Here to Register for Boo Bash 2024

Boo Bash 2024 Supports LMLPA

According to organizers Kelli Lasseter and Sonya Hubbard, Boo Bash is a “dockside trick-or-treat spooktacular hosted by families and local businesses along Logan Martin Lake.” On October 12 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., all across the lake, families in costume will be treated to a different Halloween experience at each dock they visit.

The event, which began in 2022, increased by more than 1,000 participants in its second year. Now on its third year, Lasseter and Hubbard have solidified their efforts to engage, grow and protect the lake community by giving back in a big way.

“Thanks to our amazing sponsors, this year Boo Bash on Logan Martin was able to raise more than $14,000,” Lasseter said. “These donations are more than enough to meet our main goal of supporting the LMLPA in adding 10 new hazard buoys to Logan Martin Lake.”

Follow the Boo Bash Facebook Page

LMLPA Stop at Lakeside Park

LMLPA President Neal Stephenson said the organization launched its Buoy Program in 2019 in partnership with Alabama Marine Police/ALEA. Among its many other efforts to protect Logan Martin, LMLPA relies on donations and volunteers to install lighted navigation buoys around the lake to enhance and encourage recreational boating safety.

The City Council of Pell City approved a land-use agreement with LMLPA earlier this year. Aided by the City’s Parks and Recreation Department, Lakeside Park will be the home of the organization’s awareness and fundraising efforts during the event.

Boaters can expect an exciting new stop on the route this year as City employees from Parks & Rec and the Pell City Library join the LMLPA in creating a new spooky scene at the Park featuring photo booths, food trucks, and registration for a kayak giveaway.

Learn more about the LMLPA and its mission to protect our lake

Aviation Career Day Flyovers

Another exciting addition to this year’s Boo Bash is its affiliation with the St. Clair County Airport’s Aviation Career Day and Open House. Now in its 6th year, the all-ages, all-day aviation event is packed with exhibitions, displays, and career seminars – all free to the public.

Manager Wendy Watson encouraged Boo Bash Participants to stop by the Airport before or after they take to the lake, but she added that the best time to be on the water would be between noon and 1 p.m. when dozens of historic planes are scheduled for Logan Martin flyovers.

Learn more about Aviation Career Day

For more

The City of Pell City urges all Boo Bash participants to follow all laws and practice safe and responsible boating.

Register for Boo Bash: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRaiqc2ujQnZZh4XERJ9Vn25yYwlvcx193Y9g-BJa3NJeDlA/viewform

Follow the Boo Bash Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/BooBashonLoganMartin

Learn more about the LMLPA and its mission to protect our lake: https://www.lmlpa.org/

Learn more about Aviation Career Day: https://www.facebook.com/p/St-Clair-County-AirportKPLR-100064467948878/

Pell City Police announce 2024 Public Safety Night

Pell City Police Department is excited to invite the community to its annual Public Safety Night. This event is designed to provide residents with valuable safety education, foster positive relationships with first responders, and offer a fun-filled evening for the whole family.

The event will be held in the Martin’s Family Clothing parking lot at 813 Martin Street S. on October 29 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The primary goal of Public Safety Night is to educate the City’s residents about important safety topics such as home safety, fire prevention, and emergency preparedness. First responders will be on hand to provide demonstrations, answer questions, and offer tips on how to stay safe.

“Public Safety Night is a special event that brings our community together to celebrate the hard work and dedication of our first responders,” Pell City Police Chief Clay Morris said. “It’s a chance for all of us to show our appreciation for the men and women who risk their lives every day to keep us safe.”

In addition to safety education, the event will feature a variety of activities for all ages. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore first responder vehicles, enjoy free food and games, and participate in a trunk or treat.

“I encourage everyone to come out and join us for this event,” Morris said. “Let’s show our support, build stronger relationships, and create a safer, more connected community.”

EVENT LOCATION

Comprehensive Review Reveals No Lead Service Lines in Pell City Water System

The Pell City Utilities Department announced today, Sept. 24, 2024, that it has completed its Federally mandated review of all service lines ahead of schedule, and that no lead pipes were located within the service area.

The news should be comforting, as lead within a water system is proven to be a dangerous health issue. Utilities Superintendent James Hadaway said residents should feel at ease after his department’s thorough review.

The team of Pell City Utilities Department employees, led by Superintendent James Hadaway (left), spent two years inspecting approximately 6,000 service connections in the City of Pell City’s water system.

“The fact that we do not have any lead service lines within our system shows this Department and this City are committed to the safety of our citizens,” Hadaway said. “We are proud to make this announcement.”

Pell City Utilities began its review of service lines in 2022. The project was mandated as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 2021 revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) made in response to the drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan.

The LCR revision required that all public water service systems were to complete an inventory within three years, with the mandatory reporting date being set on Oct. 16, 2024. Over the course of two years, Pell City Utilities employees investigated all 5,991 service lines to comply with the requirements.

“It required us to work on this project nearly every day, but it was worth it to be able to report this news,” Hadaway said.

Residents can review the Department’s summary report to the EPA here, and view the service line material classifications for individual addresses here.

Lead Inventory Summary Report
Classification Report for Connections by Address

City Hosts Future Leaders on Field Trip

What a fantastic day we had at City Hall and other Pell City facilities yesterday.

On Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, The City of Pell City was thrilled and honored to host more than 300 bright and curious fourth grade students from Pell City Schools on an inaugural tour of our municipal departments and facilities.

Organized by Coosa Valley Elementary Teacher Angela Davidson and City Special Projects Coordinator Jeff Thompson, the students went behind the scenes to learn more about City administration, police and fire operations and the Pell City Public Library. These young minds were eager to learn about how our city operates, and we were more than happy to share our knowledge.

In addition, Davidson organized the students’ visits to the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency, and Central Dispatch. Finally, every fourth grader also had the opportunity to tour the Museum of Pell City and learn the history of our community.

The City of Pell City is grateful to Ms. Davidson for taking the initiative to create this wonderful opportunity, and we’re especially proud of our City’s fourth-grade students for their exemplary behavior, insightful questions, and excitement about our wonderful employees and the work they do.

Special thanks to the organizers and presenters at the seven different stops throughout the day:

  • Bill Pruitt, Mayor of Pell City
  • Captain Josh Herren, Pell City Police Department
  • Battalion Chief Joey Vaughan, Pell City Fire and Rescue
  • Youth Librarian Jordan Rawson, Pell City Library
  • Chief Deputy Matt Coupland, St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office
  • Deputy Director Charity Mitcham, St. Clair Emergency Management Agency
  • Museum Coordinator Erica Grieve, Museum of Pell City

Thank you for joining us, future leaders – we’ll see you next year!

What led to the Schools and City proposing an appointed Board of Education?

From the Office of the Mayor

Bill Pruitt is currently serving in his second term as Mayor of Pell City, Alabama. This column and others that are featured in this series are written and shared with the purpose of providing information to the general public and encouraging discussion on topics that impact the lives of the residents of Pell City.

Of the questions I’ve received regarding the upcoming vote on the governance of the Pell City School System, one of the most poignant is “now, why are we doing this?”

In a nutshell, the answer is that the Pell City Board of Education is correcting a 42-year-old structural shortcoming in the formation of the Pell City School System and fulfilling a promise they made to the voters during the 2021 Tax Referendum.

The starting point for our look into the “why” of the upcoming vote is Resolution No. 2024-1, approved by unanimous vote of the Pell City Board of Education on January 25, 2024.  While I will be citing the portions most pertinent to this discussion, there will be a link to the full text of the Resolution following this post.  Those portions read, as follows:

“WHEREAS, since the formation of the Pell City School System, those individuals that reside outside the city limits of the City of Pell City and within the unincorporated portion of the Pell City School Attendance Zone and Tax District (the “County portion”) have not been legally eligible to serve on the Pell City Board of Education or to vote in elections for the Pell City Board of Education; and,”

Pell City Board of Education Resolution No. 2024-1

When the Pell City School System separated from the St. Clair County School System in 1982, there were certain areas outside of the city limits that were served by schools within Pell City.  By agreement, those students continued to be educated by the newly formed system.  However, residents outside of the City limits had no right to serve on the Board of Education and had no voting representation on the Board. 

Although the System has represented all students equally, without regard to residency, it has been a long-standing point of contention that residents in the county portion of the school system had no voice on the Board that made the decisions regarding the education of their children.

“WHEREAS, the Pell City Board of Education is committed to providing representation for those individuals that reside in the County portion of the Pell City School Attendance Zone and Tax District; and,”

Pell City Board of Education Resolution No. 2024-1

During the Kids Count tax referendum, the Pell City School System promised to address the issue of representation for families residing outside of the city limits.  The Board of Education remains committed and is fulfilling their promise to correct this 42-year deficiency.

“WHEREAS, the Pell City Board of Education has analyzed and considered every option available to provide those individuals that reside in the County portion of the Pell City School Attendance Zone and Tax District the opportunity to participate in the governance of the Pell City School System; and,”

“WHEREAS, the Pell City Board of Education has determined that it is in the best interests of all citizens residing in the Pell City School Attendance Zone and Tax District to return the Pell City Board of Education to an appointed board, as it existed when the Pell City School System was formed, and to legally establish that the appointed members of the Pell City Board of Education shall be qualified individuals who reside within the entire Pell City School Attendance Zone and Tax District, with at least two of those members being appointed from the County portion of the Pell City School Attendance Zone and Tax District; and,”

Pell City Board of Education Resolution No. 2024-1

In 2023, the Pell City Board of Education enlisted the assistance of the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham to help them fulfill their promise.  RPC is known for their expertise in the field of redistricting and serves the counties of Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby and Walker. 

Upon analysis of the possible options, and upon the recommendation of RPC, the Pell City Board of Education determined that the most viable option for fulfilling their promise to the voters, and that in the best interest of the families of the Pell City School System, was to return to an appointed board, which is the format currently employed by 2/3 of the 70-plus city school systems throughout Alabama.

So that is the “why.”  The next stops in the discussion pertain to “how will this work?”, and more importantly, “how will this impact my children?”

For more information, please see the Pell City Board of Education and City of Pell City’s information packet on Local Amendment 1 at www.pell-city.com/amendment 1.

Nothing contained herein intends to advocate in favor of or against the local ballot measure.  The information is provided for the purpose of informing members of the public about the upcoming election, providing objective analysis or factual information about the local ballot measure, and encouraging citizens to vote.

PCBOE – Resolution 2024-1 Appointed BoardDownload

Pell City Solid Waste Collection Service Arrow Disposal (ADSI) Announces Acquisition by Meridian Waste

PUBLIC NOTICE

The City of Pell City received notice that its contracted service provider for solid waste collection and disposal, Arrow Disposal Service, Inc. (ADSI), was acquired by by Meridian Waste Acquisitions, LLC. The transition took effect Sept. 1, 2024.

According to Meridian Waste, Pell City customers will see no impact to their services. No changes are anticipated other than minor branding updates.

According to the ADSI website, “Effective September 1, 2024, EEP & ADSI have joined forces with Meridian Waste. While the name of the company servicing you or your business will change to Meridian Waste, the original core group of drivers, helpers, landfill operators, supervisors and managers are still here to help you and keep your homes, streets and businesses clean. Your contracts remain valid and your service schedules will not change except for possible routine operational efficiencies. Thanks for entrusting EEP & ADSI, and now Meridian Waste, with your environmental services. It’s a job we take seriously, and we value your trust in us.”

Questions should be directed to Pell City Street Department Superintendent Greg Gossett at ggossett@cityofpellcity.net

On the Board of Education’s Distribution of City Funding

PUBLIC NOTICE

In response to some discussion about the procedure for the Pell City Board of Education requesting funds from the City of Pell City, we would like to be clear. The process begins and ends with the Superintendent for Pell City Schools, who submits requests on behalf of the PCBOE. A request is made, and it is either approved or denied.

There are three documents attached to this post. The first is the original agenda for the PCBOE for a Called Meeting of Sept. 5, 2024. The second is an agenda that has been edited post-meeting, and the third is a request for funding from the PCBOE to the City Council.

The text highlighted in bold in the second agenda implies that City funding for PCBOE contracts has already been committed. Please be aware that the third document is the request for funding, which was hand-delivered to the Council by the Superintendent. It has yet to be approved.

It is anticipated the Council will approve this request for funding, as it has in the past. The third document also discloses last year’s requests from the BOE / Superintendent Martin, which the Council approved in an effort to show its continued support for the Board.

But it is also important to note that the Superintendent is requesting these funds on top of the more than $5 million that the City annually commits to the Board. These funds are discretionary, meaning the Board has full control of how they are spent.

As it has shown in years past, the Council is in full financial support of the students and teachers who drive this system. But it relies on the Board to determine how its contributions can be most impactful.

City, Rotary partner to finalize downtown streetscape improvements

In July 2024, the City of Pell City celebrated the installation of 20 black, cast-iron benches and 11 matching litter containers along Cogswell Ave. – the final piece of a years-long Downtown Improvement Project.

These new, modern benches were made possible through a contribution from the Rotary Club of Pell City. They join other significant improvements installed along Cogswell Ave., Comer Ave., and 19th Street including new sidewalks and curbs, planters, and streetlights.

Pell City Rotarians met on the corner of 19th St. and Cogswell Ave. to celebrate the installation of new benches in downtown Pell City. The Rotary Club of Pell City contributed $20,000 toward the purchase and installation. From left are: Immediate Past President Serge Brazzolotto, Secretary Emily Norris, City Council member and Sergeant-at-Arms Jay Jenkins, Jaxon Phillips, Steve Talley, President-Elect Brian Muenger, and President Kelly Furgerson.

Rotary Past-President Serge Brazzolotto, who led the Club from July 2023 through June 2024, initially saw the value of transforming the City’s historic downtown into a more vibrant and walkable space. He spearheaded the club’s involvement.

“It was Rotary’s goal to provide the people of Pell City with something that enhanced their experience downtown,” Brazzolotto said. “These benches will be used daily, and our Club is proud to help improve our community in such a meaningful way.”

Pell City Rotary President Kelly Furgerson and Immediate Past President Serge Brazzolotto led the effort to involve the Club in the City of Pell City’s Downtown Streetscape Improvement Project.

Total cost of the benches and litter containers was approximately $40,000. Rotary committed to assisting the City with the expense by contributing half the cost – more than $20,000.

This contribution is part of the Rotary Club of Pell City’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. The Club, founded in 1974, marked a half century of community service this year, and each bench is branded with a badge that recognizes the Club’s decades of “Service Above Self.”

“Rotary sends a tremendous thanks to the City for the vision and effort that went into improving our downtown,” Rotary President Kelly Furgerson said. “We’re excited to celebrate our 50th anniversary alongside this major accomplishment.”

The City of Pell City’s Downtown Streetscape Improvement Project dates back to June 2020, when the City applied for an Alabama Department of Transportation TAP Grant, which stands for “Transportation Alternatives Program.”

The grant request was for $640,000 to remedy ADA non-compliant sidewalks in the downtown area. The City provided local matching funds of approximately $500,000, including landscaping and lighting costs, as well as engineering and inspection fees.

Streetscape Improvements completed by the City with the assistance of the TAP Grant included the corner of 19th St. and Cogswell Ave. (above), and the corner of 20th St. and Cogswell. Ave. “Before” photos from the City’s grant submission.

In August 2023, the City awarded a bid for construction to Taylor Corporation of Oxford for approximately $830,000. Taylor Corp. completed their portion of the project in June.

Installation of the Rotary benches was the final piece. They were installed in July by the Pell City Street Department under the supervision of Greg Gossett and Blake Nixon.

“We are grateful to ALDOT for recognizing this need and helping us transform downtown Pell City,” Muenger said. “Punctuating it with a gift of this scale from Rotary is what truly makes this a community project, and one that we hope residents will appreciate for years to come.”

For more on the Rotary Club of Pell City, visit pellcityrotary.org

Investigation Underway after Devastating Pell City Plant Fire

Investigation is underway at the site of an industrial fire in Pell City that kept Pell City Fire Department (PCFD) crews mobilized for 26 continuous hours on July 30-31.

On Tuesday, July 30, at 6 p.m. PCFD responded to a report of smoke in the ventilation system at Royal Foods, located at 1904 16th Ave S. in Pell City. Crews arrived within minutes and found one of the company’s two plant facilities emitting heavy smoke.

Smoke poured from the roof of the original Royal Foods facility on June 30, 2024. Drone photography by Brian Muenger.

Pell City Fire Chief Tim Kurzejeski engaged the PCFD Special Operations Team, and on-duty staff entered the plant to attempt suppression efforts from within. Within 45 minutes, PCFD had 45 of the department’s 60 firefighters on site, but the crews were forced into defensive positions when the fire spread to inaccessible parts of the plant and compromised the roof structure.

Teams from Pell City Police Department, Pell City Street Department, and Pell City Utility Department were all called to the scene to provide critical support to the firefighting teams. With assistance from St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency, Kurzejeski requested mutual aid from regional partners. Six fire departments provided personnel and equipment to assist in containment and suppression efforts.

Photo courtesy of Jared Brannon

“The response to our request for assistance was unbelievable,” Kurzejeski said. “Our City departments were operating as a complete team alongside our partners who answered the call for aid.”

Throughout the 26-hour mobilization, PCFD and mutual aid partners used more than 3 million gallons of water to suppress the plant fire. Kurzejeski credited Utility Superintendent James Hadaway and his team for rising to meet the challenge of supplying the water without interruption.

He also thanked Street Department Director Greg Gossett and Pell City Police Chief Clay Morris for the constant support. Both teams led traffic control around the site. City Manager Brian Muenger, in conjunction with the Police Department, provided drone footage to help firefighters target hotspots, and the Street Department provided a constant supply of fuel and other resources to PCFD and their mutual aid partners.

“In Pell City, we operate as a unit,” Kurzejeski said. “During this operation you were able to see multiple departments and agencies come together without missing a beat, put their training into practice, and do everything they could to protect the structure, prevent injury, and contain the fire.”

The fire started in the plant’s original structure, a building Royal Foods moved into when it relocated to Pell City in 1992. Royal Foods’ staff were fully evacuated, and firefighters were able to contain the fire to the original facility. No injuries were caused by the fire, either to Royal Foods employees or to the suppression teams, and all other Royal Foods structures at the site were protected.

Kurzejeski and other City leaders remained in contact with Royal Foods throughout efforts to extinguish the fire, which resulted in a total loss of the structure. The company said in a statement issued July 31 that it intended to retain all 130 employees at the site, and that Royal Foods was looking forward with optimism.

As of this release, the site is still considered active and PCFD crews are continuing to monitor the plant for potential flare-ups. 19th Street is open to the public.

PCFD is investigating the cause of the fire with assistance from the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Photo courtesy of Jared Brannon

Mutual aid responders and contributing departments and agencies included:

  • Springville Fire Department
  • Odenville Fire Department
  • Leeds Fire Department
  • Lincoln Fire Department
  • Trussville Fire Department
  • New London Volunteer Fire Department
  • Pell City Police Department
  • Pell City Street Department
  • Pell City Water Department
  • St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office
  • St. Clair Emergency Management Agency
  • Alabama Power
  • Springville Community Emergency Response Team

“I’m thankful for the overwhelming support from our mutual aid partners,” Kurzejeski said. “I’d also like to thank the members of the Pell City Fire Department for their grit and commitment throughout the response. The moment we received the call, we hit the ground running and did not stop. If that jacket is on, we’re moving. I would not have expected anything less of our firefighters. They go above and beyond, give anything and everything, and always work to complete the task.”

Photo courtesy of Jared Brannon

WORLD CHAMPIONS: Pell City 8U Softball recognized by Council for 21-0 title season

On Monday, July 8, the City Council for the City of Pell City celebrated the Pell City 8U Rec All-Star Softball Team as the USA Softball World Series Champion and No. 1 ranked team in the nation. This marks the first time Pell City has won a world title in any of its athletics programs, according to Pell City Athletic Director Joey Morrow.

The City of Pell City celebrated its first World Championship for any City athletics program on Monday, July 8, in recognizing the 2024 Pell City 8U Softball team whose 21-0 record propelled them to No. 1 in the nation. The team and coaches are pictured with the Pell City Mayor, Council, and City Manager.

The undefeated 8U Pell City team dominated their competition on their way to a 2024 title and top ranking during the July 5-7, 2024 World Series played in Albertville. The team closed out the Series on Sunday against the No. 3-ranked Arab Knights by a score of 10-2 to claim the World Championship.

Pell City entered the World Series tournament as the top-ranked team in the state after earning the titles of District Champion, Area Champion, and State Champion. Including their World Series run, the team boasts a 21-0 record for the 2024 season.

The Pell City 8U Rec Allstar Softball Team coached by Dean Staples, Andrew Lee, Zane Calhoun, Kent Pierce, and Robert Barnes scored 287 runs during their four championship tournaments this summer while only giving up 88 runs.

The City of Pell City congratulates these coaches and players on their achievements.

  • Sadie Whittington
  • JaRainah Smoot-Hill
  • Ava McCoy
  • Letti Pierce
  • Nora Hall
  • Aspen McCloud
  • Emma Barnes
  • Ashlyn Jackson
  • Adalynn Phillips
  • Rayleigh Staples
  • Ella-Kate Calhoun
  • Londyn Turner
  • Baylor Lane
  • EllaJo Lee
  • Dean Staples
  • Andrew Lee
  • Zane Calhoun
  • Kent Pierce
  • Robert Barnes

Photos from Facebook / Hollie Normal Hall