By Sherri Blevins Dressed in Christmas attire, the Fort Payne City Council gave an early Christmas gift to City employees. To increase the chances of retaining employees, the City added incentives to the city workers’ employment packages. During the December 6, 2022, Fort Payne City Council meeting, the Council voted to increase the amount of vacation time for employees remaining five and ten years. Human Resources Manager Tricia Clinton Dunne stated that of the 225 employees working for the City, 65% had been there less than ten years. She proposed granting three weeks of paid vacation to workers employed for five years and four weeks of vacation to those employed for ten years to keep valuable employees in Fort Payne. The Council agreed and voted to approve the plan. Mayor Baine thanked all the City employees responsible for lighting and decorating the City. He said he had received several compliments on the beauty of the City during the holidays. Baine also stated that several businesses had requested to have lights added to the tops of their buildings to continue the decorating scheme in the downtown portion of the City. The Council’s policy has been to buy and install the lights on the building roofs, and the businesses have been responsible for the power bills. The Council questioned whether or not it had an existing policy on what areas of the City were included in the light policy. The Historic District was thought to be the area covered in the policy. Mayor Baine reported that the City could possibly receive grants for a feasibility study of the proposed overpass at Joe’s Truckstop and safety grants for Wills Valley School and the Fort Payne Recreation Center. Representatives from GrayMatter of D.C. are working with the Alabama Department of Transportation and are looking for grants for the feasibility study. The firm is also researching grants for the proposed safety improvements to the school and recreation center. The Council also approved the following items: • Ordinance 2022-06 regulating the practice of “Booting” vehicles in the City limits of Fort Payne • Resolution 2022-41 declaring a certain Sanitation Department vehicle surplus and no longer needed for Municipal or public purposes (The City of Collinsville is interested in purchasing the vehicle.) • Reappointments of Robbie Davis and Monia Smith to the Fort Payne Improvement Authority Board and Dana Goggins to the Fort Payne Water Board • Addition of Columbus Day to the City’s recognized list of allowable holidays The next meeting will be on December 20, 2022.
Attorney Tamara Nelley, Human Resources Manager Tricia Clinton Dunne, City Treasurer Grant Ledbetter, Council Members Phillip Smith, John Smith, Lynn Brewer, Mayor Baine, Council Members Walter Watson, and Johnny Eberhart
Mountain Valley News (MVN) is your trusted source for weekly hometown news, serving the vibrant communities of DeKalb and Jackson Counties in the heart of Alabama. We're here to bring you the latest stories, events, and happenings, all available conveniently both online and in print. At MVN, we believe that community engagement is essential. We want to hear from you, our valued readers! Share your opinions, insights, and thoughts on our articles by adding a comment below each story. Your perspective matters, and your comments contribute to the rich tapestry of discussions in our community. Together, we can foster meaningful conversations and build a stronger sense of community. Join us in shaping the narrative of DeKalb and Jackson Counties. Your voice is important, and we look forward to reading your comments. Let's make our community news a truly interactive experience! Have a story idea or a topic you'd like to see covered? Feel free to suggest it in the comments or reach out to our dedicated team. We're here to serve you, and your feedback helps us tailor our content to your interests and needs.
