Photo courtesy of Wayne Morris
Chelsea HS QB club president
Mike Brooks discusses a potential locker room upgrade with the Chelsea mayor and city council on June 21.
The Chelsea Quarterback club is asking the city to partner with them on a new locker room project at Chelsea High School.
Mike Brooks, the new president of Chelsea High school quarterback club, provided information in the Jan. 21 pre-council meeting and spoke briefly during the regular meeting. Brooks was elected in the role around the time new head coach Todd Cassity was hired. When the two met and discussed needs within the program, the biggest one turned out to be the locker room.
“This is where they come together as a team,” Brooks said. “It doesn't have the space needed or the equipment needed to represent a 7A program. We put together a good plan that includes new metal lockers, new flooring and a bathroom remodel.”
Brooks said one of the reasons it’s so important to update the facilities is that Chelsea continues losing players to other schools.
“If a kid has a dream to play football and they go and tour different facilities, they are going to be graviting to those that are nicer,” Brooks said. “We've lost a lot of kids over the years who have moved out of Chelsea to live in other communities. We want to do everything we can to keep those kids and their families here in this community, and improving these facilities is one of the ways to do that.”
Brooks said it would probably be a multi-season project, but feels with the support of the city, it can be accomplished. He said the quarterback club is trying to raise funds and also working with Shelby County Board of Education to see if they can help.
Head coach Todd Cassity said he didn’t know the conditions of the facilities when he accepted the job and expected better. He said the current locker room would probably be on par with a 3A or 4A locker room, and Chelsea is now a 7A football team.
“We’re housing over 100 kids in that locker room that probably should be about a capacity of 40 to 50,”Cassity said. “I’ve been in a lot of locker rooms, and while our weight room is top notch, our other facilities are not. We need to bring this up to a 7A standard, on par to the teams we will be playing in the next few years.”
Mayor Tony Picklesimer said he and councilman Scott Weygand attended an onsite presentation by Brooks and Haley Handley prior to the council meeting and said he saw first hand how poor the condition of the locker room is.
“It's just really disappointing that the locker room has been allowed to get to this state, but it's been in this state for a while.” Picklesimer said. “This is a much needed project and I am fully supportive of it.”
The total cost of the package is around $180,000. Picklesimer said the project does not qualify for Nick Grant funding and an exception would have to be made. Picklesimer said he’s not sure how the city council would vote on the issue.
During the council meeting, the council also:
- Authorized an Economic Benefit Incentive Package (EBIP) to Auburn Hospitality Group for a La Quinta Hotel, a project that has been in the works for several years. Picklesimer said this will be the 10th hotel for the group and expects a groundbreaking to take place in July.
- Approved a resolution to support the Back to School Tax Free weekend July 15-17
- Authorized the Alabama Department of Revenue to administer to be the city’s third party administrator of sales, consumer use and sellers use taxes
- Accepted a quote not to exceed $15,000 for improvements at the Chelsea Middle School football field. The city will partner with the Shelby County Board of Education to do regular maintenance for drainage.
- Approved resolutions to appoint an election manager, absentee election manager and poll workers for the special election on July 12
- Approved to pay the city’s bills
Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Russell recognized Hunter Knight, who was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on May 23.
Upcoming dates
July 2: ChelseaFest & The Big Kaboom begins at 5 p.m.
July 4: City Hall closed
July 5: City council meeting, 6 p.m.
July 12: Special election, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
July 15-17: Back to school sales tax holiday
July 19: City council meeting, 6 p.m.
July 23: Bulk trash day
