One of Limestone County’s favorite recreational trails is in need of repairs and a grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs could do the trick, according to the Limestone County Parks and Recreation board.

The board is asking the Limestone County Commission to approve a resolution at its Tuesday meeting in order to submit a grant application to ADECA’s Recreational Trails Program that, if granted, would fund improvements to the Richard Martin Rails to Trails.

If approved by ADECA, the grant gives more than $120,000 to bridge repair and erosion control along the length of the pathway. The Limestone County Commission would then be obligated to provide a 20 percent match for the project, bringing the total amount to $151,000.

Parks and Recreation board member Richard Martin, the namesake for the trail, said two of the four-foot bridges on the trail are rotten after a decade of exposure to the elements. The other two bridges don’t require repairs as they are covered.

Martin said the grant money would fund replacing the dilapidated bridges and converting them to covered bridges, which would extend their lifespan.

Another reason for the work is because, even though the bridges are restricted from vehicle traffic, they are built to withstand the weight of an ambulance or other rescue vehicle in case of an emergency, said County Assistant Engineer Marc Massey.

 

Other business

The commission also discussed another resolution slated for a vote on Tuesday. Commissioners are expected to be asked to authorize Chairman Mark Yarbrough to act on the county’s behalf in executing an agreement with the state of Alabama and the city of Decatur in approving the “3-C” Transportation Planning Process for the Decatur Metropolitan Planning Area.

Dewayne Hellums of the Metropolitan Planning Organization explained the paperwork is a common procedure when the state updates its overall transportation plan and requires approval of all members of the MPO.

Limestone County is an official partner in Decatur’s MPO since southern portions of the county are annexed into Decatur city limits — a role the County Commission has played since 1982, Hellums added.

Other measures up for vote Tuesday include:

• Awarding bid for gasoline and diesel;

• Awarding bid for printing checks for the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office;

• Employ Anthony Gardner as engineering assistant III;

• Approve leave for Matthew Hayes to occur between Feb. 1 and Feb. 16;

• Approve merit increases for Justin Brown, Gary Carroll, Kayla Holt, Caleb King, Cody Lewter, Sheilia Long, Susan McGrady, Moses McGuire, Myra Moss, Johnny Smith, Laura Then, Christopher Thompson, Andrew Vickers Jr. and Rita White;

• Sell 2003 Ford Explorer on GovDeals for the Engineering Department;

• Transfer 2006 Ford F250 pickup truck from Information Technology to Engineering Department; and

• Approve 2017 bingo permits for the Disabled American Veterans chapter 51 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4765

 

The Limestone County Commission will meet for its regular meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, at the Clinton Street courthouse annex.