Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
Mayor Tony Picklesimer, third from right, and councilors discuss agenda items during their July 6 meeting.
Mayor Tony Picklesimer thanked all of those involved that helped put on the Big Kaboom that took place July 3 during his report at the July 6 Chelsea City Council meeting.
“It was a tremendous success with great weather and a huge turnout,” he said. “The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office estimated the crowd at 7,000, which was by far our biggest event yet.”
He also added there was no news to report on the school system feasibility study discussed at the previous council meeting.
The mayor and council approved six resolutions:
► To declare city property as surplus and authorize its disposal.
► To approve an off-premises beer and wine ABC license for the new RaceTrac in Chelsea, which is near completion.
► To authorize the mayor to execute a renewal contract to Rivertree Systems Inc. The company completed 22 audits from October 2019 to June 2021, and out of those, the city received a net revenue of $16,253.
► To authorize the paving of Rich Drive (located off Shelby County 37 on Shelby County 39 across from the middle school).
► To approve an annexation request made by Doris Rooks for 4.9 acres of property located at 239 Shady Branch Lane, Chelsea.
► To approve payments for city bills.
During the community forum, Emily Sims from the Chelsea Public Library reported that the total number of people registered for the summer reading program was 494 across all age groups.
Other numbers so far for their summer programs are 506 for Wednesday programs, 207 for Tuesday movie days and 250 for Tot Time. They also handed out over 1,000 books at the Big Kaboom over the weekend.
“This far exceeds any number we’ve ever done,” Sims said. “These numbers are huge, and we are only halfway through the summer.”
The Chelsea Historical Museum presented a children’s program and storytime with crafts earlier July 6 and announced upcoming events that included a members meeting July 25 with guest speaker Chris Ray and another set for 2-4 p.m. Oct. 24 with guest speaker Kim Johnson, author of “Haunted Shelby County.”
Dates to Remember
► Aug. 3: Council meeting at City Hall. Work session begins at 5 p.m., action meeting begins at 6 p.m.
► Aug. 17: Council meeting at City Hall. Work session begins at 5 p.m., action meeting begins at 6 p.m.
Chelsea Community Center Programs Director Jane Ann Mueller said there are many sports camps taking place, as well as uniform fittings. Signups for fall sports will be posted soon. She encouraged people to visit the Parks and Recreation Department website for more information.
Mueller also said to stay tuned for the opening of the Splash Pad at Melrose Park. They hope to have a ribbon-cutting for the splash pad following the July Coffee with the Mayor event.
Chelsea Fire Chief Joe Lee said six employees recently completed certification classes at the Alabama Fire College in June, increasing their knowledge and leadership abilities.
During public comment, Jack Little of Highland Lakes addressed the council about the annexation possibility and brought a copy of the Dunnavant Valley small area plan, a 2014 document of what people who live in Dunnavant Valley are looking for.
Charmin Brooks, a resident of Birch Creek in Dunnavant Valley, also mentioned the plan and that it is implemented on a regular basis.
