Councilor briefs board on city items: property sale, debt reduction and upcoming roadwork

Councilor Bridal, a Trussville city council member, addressed the Board of Education at the start of the July meeting and briefed members on several municipal items, including a planned property sale to Trussville Gas & Water that the council is expected to approve and roadwork that will affect local travel.

Why it matters: The city's planned sale and debt-reduction measures affect municipal finances and could influence the broader local tax and service environment; road closures could alter commute patterns for families and staff.

Councilor Bridal said the city will consider approving the sale of about 1,200 acres off Deerfoot back to Trussville Gas & Water. He told the board the sale would allow the city to remove $5,000,000 from its debt service and put about $3.5 million back into reserves. Councilor Bridal also noted the mayor's prayer breakfast is scheduled for Aug. 1 at the Civic Center and that tickets are available through the Chamber of Commerce.

On transportation, he said the southbound entrance at I-59 Chautwell Mountain Road would be closed for up to 40 days, after which work will switch to the Chapel Mountain Road northbound entrance, creating roughly 80 days of phased closures. "We feel like the mornings will be the toughest right now because it's southbound and the evenings will when it rolls to the other side," he said. He added that he had contacted the railroad to ask that train stoppages be minimized during the closures.

These remarks were a city update delivered during the board meeting; no board action on the city items was taken. Councilor Bridal invited board members and members of the public to attend the council workshop and meeting the following day.