City provides funds for hangar, makes property moves

The City of Andalusia will provide the South Alabama Regional Airport with a loan of $200,000 to build a new hangar after a vote by the city council Tuesday night.

Once constructed, the new hangar will be leased by Enterprise Rescue, which needs the indoor space for helicopter storage. PHI Air Medical and Enterprise Rescue opened an operation at SARA in February 2024 and employees 17 workers.

The total cost for the hangar is $400,000. The city will provide half that amount through a 10-year, 4-percent interest loan.

The council also considered two property matters, including providing land within the city’s industrial park to Conecuh Sausage, and trading residential properties.

In a first reading, the city council will consider providing Conecuh Sausage with a 15-acre piece of property across from Sutton Road, on which the company plans to construct housing for future employees. The housing will consist of two buildings with 10 housing units each. A second reading is scheduled for the Tuesday, Oct. 15, meeting after which the council could vote on the measure.

The property was described as small and “not developmental material,” by city officials.

The council voted to exchange properties with Hila Gatewood.

The city will provide to Gatewood a home constructed by the city at 411 Church St. Currently, this home is being rented. In exchange, the city will receive four property lots along Railroad Avenue.

City Administrator John Thompson said the trade is a fair one from a financial standpoint and will help the city move its plan forward in alleviating the city’s housing shortage.

“It makes good sense and will get us out of the landlord situation. In addition, we already have a developer interested in building on these (Railroad Avenue) properties. It’s a fair exchange and gives us these properties to get more housing. We still have an acute housing shortage. We’ve come a long way, but we have a lot more work to do,” Thompson said.

The council approved the exchange by a unanimous vote.

Other items discussed by the council included:

• approving a request from the Andalusia City School System for $1.5 million from city sales tax. The annual request was presented by Superintendent Dr. Daniel Shakespeare during the council’s prior meeting.
• The funds will be used by the school board for multiple projects, as well as certain personnel, including renovation and maintenance work at the AHS auditorium and stadium; hiring of an additional education specialist; funding the schools’ art and music programs; construction of a maintenance building; finalizing a sidewalk project around AHS; placing a new PA system in the new cafeteria at AHS; new signage at AHS; funds for technology updates; and salary assistance for STEM programs and interventionists.
• approving a new policy manual for the Andalusia Police Department;
• approving three nuisance property abatements located on Baker Street, Rankin Street, and Cedar Street.
• approving a change to the city’s employee benefit training reimbursement policy. The change involves utility workers who receive training at an expense to the city. Similar to existing policies for police, fire and other employees, utility workers will reimburse the city for the training if they leave their position within a certain period of time.
• hearing an update from representatives of Bethesda House, who asked the city to continue its annual compensation assistance. The council agreed to provide $40,000 to the non-profit, which is the same amount provided in 2023.

The next council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 15, at city hall, with a work session at 5:30 p.m. and a regular session at 6 p.m.