The City of Centre has officially hired its next Fire Chief. During their regular meeting on Tuesday the appointment of William Robert (Will) Gardner was approved and he will officially take over the department on September 25th; the council set his starting salary at $35,000 annually.
Gardner is currently a Firefighter/Paramedic with the Guntersville Fire Department and has been a Firefighter since 2003 and a Medic since 2010. He and his family reside on County Road 44 in Cedar Bluff.
In other business; the council approved the renewal of the current E911 contract for a three year period and also approved, at the recommendation of Tommy Loder, Chairman of the Alcohol Review Committee a license to RMK LLC, Express Mart #12 for Retail Beer (Off Premises Only) and Retail Table Wine (Off Premises Only).
The council also received from City Engineer Raymond Matthews a lengthy list of recommended upgrades/renovations that are needed at the JFK Community Center. Those projects included; installing baseboard paneling in the kitchen, floor to ceiling with new baseboards, shoe mold, crown molding and door casings. Stain and poly finish on bead board. Installing floating floor covering, new stainless steel sink and faucet with counter-tops and cabinets and bar, in the bathrooms; installing new toilets, move the vanities into the corners and install combination bead board and galvanized tin wainscoting on walls, installing new privacy walls built from frame and tin, install new floating floor covering, stain and poly finish on the walls, repairing doors from stage to kitchen and installing a new door on the side entry with new locks.
The total cost of the project including material, labor and a 10% contractor fee is going to be in excess of $28,000. The council approved the recommendations and Mayor Tony Wilkie stated that the money was in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
The Centre Police Department will be hosting a ‘Truck or Treat’ on October 28, at the Police Department Headquarters from 5:00 – 7:00 that evening. Councilwoman Kay Davis announced that the First Responders Dinner that was being sponsored by the City of Centre and the First United Methodist Church will be rescheduled at a later date.