Standing outside the office he'll remain in for five more months, Hamilton Bob Page is all smiles after making his announcement during a city council meeting that he'll not run again for re-election.
HAMILTON — During the Hamilton City Council’s regular meeting on Monday, June 2, during discussion on municipal office qualifying dates and times, mayor Bob Page announced he would not be running again for office.
“I’m going to nod out this year and retire. But I’ve really enjoyed serving the City of Hamilton the last two terms,” he said.
“We would appreciate having a good slate of folks on board for the elections this year and keep Hamilton moving forward.
“I hope all these people beside me (indicating current council members) want to stay. I’d be for that, too.”
The Journal-Record conducted an exclusive interview with Page two days after the meeting and will publish more about his decision, his time in office and his wishes for the next administration at a later date.
Qualifying for mayor and city council ends on June 24, at 5 p.m.
In other business, the council:
• Heard from Lady Aggies Diamond Club President Joel Bartlett, parent to senior Ella Rose Bartlett, who spoke on the club’s desire to have an additional locker room and weight room for female high school student athletes and junior varsity players, as well.
“There has also never been a space set aside just for girls to work out in,” he said during the meeting.
He noted later, “The size of the current girl’s locker room is not big enough to hold both the varsity and JV players.”
He said the boys and girls are scheduled for different times to use the weight room facilities, but with so many different sports using the same area, he explained it can be difficult, at times, for the athletes.
He said the club is looking at a 20 x 40 building and is obtaining bids at this time. Bartlett was invited back to a council work session to provide more details and information.
He also thanked the city for all their support in the past for school athletics.
• Approved to pay the low bid of $3,800 to Brian Gilstrap to pressure wash certain sidewalks in the downtown area. The mayor noted funds for this service will come from the city’s Capital Improvement Account.
• Tabled any action on a proposal to join with Winfield and Guin for the creation and maintenance of a tourism and industry promotion website. The council wishes to research more information on the program before moving forward.
May 27 special-called meeting
The Hamilton City Council held a special-called meeting on Tuesday, May 27, to pass a resolution for its Annual Municipal Water Pollution Prevention Program.
The program requires the water department to maintain and treat raw sewage as is required by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.
As part of the resolution, the council:
• Reviewed the MWPP Annual Report, which was attached to the resolution, and is printed in this issue (Journal-Record - June 11);
• Set forth several actions and schedules necessary to maintain effluent requirements contained in the NPDES Permit, and to prevent the bypass and overflow of raw sewage within the collection system or at the treatment plant.
The actions/schedules included:
• Repairing the aeration piping in the selector tank of the treatment plant;
• Replacing the rusted headworks with stainless steel pipe, and possibly adding a washer/compactor at the bar screens; and
• Replacing the piping at the Cooper Lift Station with stainless steel, adding new pumps, and installing a bypass for temporary service.
See complete story in the Journal Record.
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