The Eutaw City Council held two called meetings on January 22 and January 29, 2024 to deal with important business. It handled some of the business and deferred other matters to a proposed ‘work session” next week.

At the January 29, 2024 meeting, the Council received a detailed report on the CPA audit of its finances for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022. Auditor Rick Harbin of Tuscaloosa presented the 47-page report and stated that his firm was able to issue a letter, at the beginning of the audit, that the statements “reflect fairly the financial position of the city and that the reports follow standard accounting principles accepted in the USA.”

Harbin said the audit was clean and clear and represented the best efforts to account for the city’s assets, liabilities, and net position. Mayor Latasha Johnson thanked the staff, particularly Shakelvia Spencer and Joe Powell, as well as Financial Adviser Ralph Liverman for their work in keeping accurate records. “Having this audit, will allow us to receive and compete for state and Federal funding going forward. The funding sources are requiring us to have audits that show we are capable of handling and spending government funds,” said Mayor Johnson.

The audit shows that the City of Eutaw has combined Assets between governmental and business (mainly the water and sewer system) of $9,739,000 as compared with $9,477,000, the previous year. The report shows total Liabilities of $2,933,000; and total Liabilities and  Net Position of $12,978,000.

The 47-page audit contains many other financial statements and notes dealing with the finances of the city, which the councilmembers must review and study for guidance in making policy decisions. For instance, the report shows a negative $489,349 in revenues, compared with expenses for the water and sewer system. If this trend continues, the Council may need to raise water and sewer rates. The audit also shows $ 577,681 in revenues from Bingo distributions in FY 2022, The Sheriff has not provided bingo distributions to Eutaw and other Greene County municipalities since May of 2023.

The Mayor presented a proposal at both meetings to re-organize the staff and give raises to employees accepting promotions to higher positions.
These changes were necessitated by the illness and retirement of longtime city employee, Larry Sanford. The Council did not make a motion to approve these items and they were deferred for discussion to a working session to be held next week.

At the January 22 meeting, the Council approved a Resolution on the Usage of City Vehicles, which stated that city employees who live outside the city police jurisdiction cannot drive city vehicles to their home. Mayor Johnson placed an item on the January 29, 2024 meeting agenda, to rescind this policy. Many police officers, who live outside the police jurisdiction want to drive city police cars home, so they can respond to emergencies more quickly. The Council tabled this matter and deferred it to the proposed work session.

At the January 22nd meeting, the Council approved an agreement to allow the Alabama Forestry Commission to construct a 60-foot by 60-foot storage building to house its equipment on the city’s property behind the National Guard Armory. This will make the equipment more readily available than parking the equipment in Tuscaloosa. At the meeting the Council approved a plan for road improvements on the west end of Eutaw, under the Rebuild Alabama grant program. The Council also approved a $21,620 grant from Communities United for GIS mapping of city infrastructure, especially the water and sewer system. The grant requires a $1,000 matching from the city.

At the January 29th meeting the Council approved a grievance procedure, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, where persons with disabilities may make written complaints to the City Clerk and get due process and consideration of their complaints. The Council also passed an ordinance (No. 2024-01-29 #5) for Public Tree Planting in the City of Eutaw, which will be printed in the public notice section of this newspaper.

The Council was asked to approve use of the gym at the Robert H. Young Community Center (formerly Carver School) at a compensatory rate for IRS 501c3, non-profit organizations, for the Black Pearls Tru Partner’s event on February 24, 2024. The Council deferred in making a decision and referred this to the coming work session to develop a fee schedule for events to be held at city facilities.