Foley City Council to Vote on South Chicago Street Upgrades
John Mullen • May 19, 2025
Graham Creek pavilion project could cost $290K
Foley, Ala. – (OBA) – Foley will consider a proposal from Jade Consulting to make streetscape improvements on South Chicago Street from U.S. 98 to East Orange Avenue. The plan will include improvements along 400 linear feet of the roadway. This will include determining the rights-of-way locations in the area. Surveys will also determine how driveways, drainage and other infrastructure will be improved in the project.
The city council will meet on May 19 in council chambers at city hall at 4 p.m. Jade’s plan for the South Chicago Street project, if approved by the council, would cost $65,000.
During the joint meeting, the council will also:
- Declare May as Older Americans Month.
- Receive a report on tax collections in April, including $3.4 million in sales tax or about $300,000 less than 2024 collections and about $57,000 over budget projections. Foley collected $260,514 in lodging taxes in April, about $23,000 over 2024 collections and $55,000 over budget projections.
- Receive a report from Community Development showing the city issued 25 new building permits for single-family residential with a valuation of $9.3 million and two new commercial permits with a valuation of $9.8 million.
- Receive a report from the police department showing 257 inmates were processed through the city jail, 14 arrests for theft, 13 arrests for shoplifting and 11 arrests for simple assault domestic violence. Police were called out 2,244 times in April.
- Receive a report from the fire department showing crews were called out 46 times for medical assists, 20 times for motor vehicle accidents with injury, 27 motor vehicle accidents with no injury, 24 times to assist an invalid and 27 times crews were called out and canceled en route.
- Approve expenditures of $9.6 million during April.
- Consider approving a fireworks show at OWA for July 5 with a makeup date of July 6.
- Discuss spending $18,982 to complete a project for decorative bollards in downtown.
- Consider awarding the bid for a lighting project on West Jessamine Street from State Route 59 to North Alston Street for $141,000. Staff will also ask for a $70,000 increase in the total cost of the extension of East Jessamine Street, making the total $495,000.
- Discuss approval of an event pavilion and going to bid on the installation and site work for the project at Graham Creek Nature Preserve for $290,000.
- Consider a five-year contract with Volkert for professional services at the Foley Airport.
- Discuss bids awarded by the city in April including $396,705 for the work on the West Peachtree sinkhole, $54,951 for fencing at the soccer complex, $76,860 for door access controls, $25,375 for ADA ramp, deck and stairs for the finance modular building and $15,652 for magnetic door access for the finance building.
- Consider waiving fees for the use of Heritage Park for the Julio Jones Squad to have a Juneteenth event on June 19.
- Discuss accepting a donation of $5,000 from Frank Rikard to help purchase rescue tools for the fire department. Rikard will be recognized for donating more than $60,000 to the city’s police and fire departments.
- Consider approving $250,000 for the replacement of sheet metal on the east side of Station No. 1 and gutters on two sides of the building.
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