By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
A trio of Atmore City Council members gave approval during their Monday, September 9, meeting to spending around $8,000 for repairs to the vacant Pensacola Avenue building that in the past housed the Atmore Area YMCA and before that, the county’s first public high school.
Codes Enforcement Officer Greg Vaughn told Mayor Jim Staff and the three councilors (District 1’s Webb Nall, District 3’s Eunice Johnson and District 5’s Chris Harrison) the proposal was to help slow the further deterioration of the venerable building, not restore it to its former glory.
“The windows are busted, and the roof is in bad shape,” Vaughn said. “We just need to get someone to secure the building. In no way is this a complete rehab; it’s just to stop the bleeding.”
The 97-year-old building was vacated November 30, 2018 after the YMCA’s board of directors learned that it would take an estimated $3.4 million to make repairs that would bring the building up to city codes.
Wade Kaufmann Construction of Century, Fla. was awarded a preliminary bid of $7,835 to patch the roof leaks and cover the windows. Vaughn said the company’s price would hold “unless they find something else up there that needs doing.”
Vaughn also presented the first step in the city’s latest round of grass and weed abatement on various private lots across the city. The three council members voted to approve forward motion on a list that includes 22 properties on 14 city streets. (See legal notice in this edition for exact locations.)
“This will allow us to put notices on the property, run it in the newspapers and send the property owners a formal letter,” the codes enforcement officer said. “This gives them until October 15 to take care of the problem. Then I will come to you with a second proposal, to begin abatement.”
In other business, the council:
*Approved a non-agenda request made at the end of the meeting by David Langford to have an area of Heritage Park, “at least two spots, maybe three,” designated for handicapped parking.
*Approved the reappointment of Rob Faircloth to the city’s Utility Board.
*Approved the reappointment of Katie Brantley to the city’s Library Board.