Shelby County manager wants to expand lacrosse offerings

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Shelby County hopes to build up its lacrosse programs, County Manager Alex Dudchock told the County Commission Monday.

Dudchock said the popularity of lacrosse creates a good opportunity for scholarships and to bring visitors into the county for tournaments. In 2015, the county helped complete a new NCAA track complex with lacrosse field at the University of Montevallo. The university hosted a collegiate game on Feb. 5, and Dudchock said the attendance was encouraging.

“We’re trying to grow that [lacrosse], not only at the university level, but we’re having meetings with operators, one on the rec side and hopefully a very large club-like operator,” Dudchock said. “If you don’t remember, in 1996, we were in the early stages of the soccer club phenomenon.”

Lacrosse could benefit the county in a similar way to soccer, Dudchock said. A new sport offers students scholarship opportunities and brings in visitors who then stay at local hotels, eat at local restaurants and shop at local stores, he said.

Even though lacrosse is played at all high schools in Shelby County, athletes would be able to develop their skills through rec or club programs, Dudchock said, citing Jack Jasinski, an Oak Mountain High School graduate who now plays lacrosse at Ohio State.

“It’s still not, like some states, a state high school athletic sanctioned sport, and that’s mainly because of resources at all the different high schools in the state of Alabama,” Dudchock said. “When you start adding a sport, you better be ready field-wise, equipment-wise, uniform-wise, coaching-wise. … It wasn’t too long ago that soccer wasn’t even sanctioned.”

Dudchock told the commission that if they heard of individuals hoping to build a lacrosse program, they could email the county.

During his county manager’s report, Dudchock also discussed the county’s progress on its newest airplane hangar. The structural steel for the hangar has been received, and construction is beginning, he said.

“As with our other projects, it has already been 100 percent leased,” Dudchock said.

There is an active waiting list for the hangar, and Dudchock said anyone interested in leasing a spot in the hangar in the future can add their name to that list. Inquiries about the hangar can be made by calling the airport office.

The county is also looking to purchase an existing hangar. This hangar could be used for tenants or the Sheriff’s Office, Dudchock said. While Sheriff John Samaniego has offered to pay for half of the new hangar, which would be proportional to the Sheriff’s Office’s usage of the hangar, Dudchock said that would not be necessary.

“Looking internally at what we have been able to secure as far as price and where we’re at, I believe it’s something for you to consider and something for you to communicate back to the Sheriff that his offer for going halves is not necessary for the hangar, but he possibly could program that to other capital purchases," Dudchock said.

Those capital purchases could include more vehicles, vans, helicopters or other equipment.

Also at the Feb. 8 meeting:

  • The commission recognized Shelby County Commission Chaplain Hugh Richardson. The commission previously passed a resolution at its Jan. 11 meeting, recognizing Richardson for his public service and dedication to the county. Richardson received a framed copy of the signed resolution and photo plaque from the commission.
  • Several contracts were awarded, including a $105,000 bid from Double AA Construction Co. for roof replacement for the Department of Human Resources building. 
  • The commission accepted a $67,650 bid from Transportation South for a secure inmate transport unit for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Samaniego said the county would not have to purchase the vehicle this year because the bid is good for three years. 
  • The commission approved bids for printed items for the property tax commissioner and for stone for the highway department.
  • The commission approved fees that will be imposed for alcoholic beverage licenses for fiscal 2016.
  • Dudchock said Shelby County DHR hopes to start a capital expansion project, expanding its building toward the Safe House campus in Columbiana.
  • The commission approved two contracts with the Alabama Department of Transportation, including road resurfacing and turn lane and intersection improvements at the intersection of Alabama 70 and Shelby County 26 in Columbiana.