BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
If you are one of the many citizens who have complained about poorly maintained areas, such as overgrown areas, around roadways in Millbrook, there is good news.
The City of Millbrook is entering an agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation that will allow for city employees to maintain certain roadways that before have been traditionally maintained by the state.
On Tuesday night, the Council authorized the Mayor to execute a Cooperative Maintenance Agreement to maintain public right-of-ways that before fell under ALDOT control.
In doing so, the Council also approved the purchase of lawn equipment, and a tractor and cutter attachment for the Millbrook Street Department.
Over the years complaints would come into the City regarding areas under the control of ALDOT where grass was high, and the land was not being maintained along roadways. City official would have to explain to residents that they did not have the right to cut or maintain those areas. With this new agreement, certain areas that would go for long periods of time without being maintained, will now be maintained by the City of Millbrook.
Specific areas mentioned in Tuesday’s meeting included I-65 exit 179 from Cobbs Ford Road to Edgewood Road; I-65 exit 181 from Service Road 14 to Kelley Boulevard; Service Road 14 at Knollwood Drive to McKeithen Place; Service Road 143 Main Street from Service Road 14 to Cobbs Ford Road.
The resolution reads, “Whereas the City of Millbrook and ALDOT have common interests to improve the appearance of state routes, specifically important corridors within the city of Millbrook, have been in need of additional mowing, cleanup and visual improvement.”
“Whereas the city is making an investment in additional equipment and personnel to extend resources to provide cooperative maintenance, and whereas ALDOT requires cooperative maintenance agreements be in place to operations within their right of way, now be it resolved by the city council of Millbrook Alabama, that they Mayor and City Clerk are authorized to execute necessary cooperative maintenance agreements to permit the mowing, cleanup and visual improvements within specific ALDOT public right-of-ways.”
In the past, citizens, or even city employees, would use their off time to clean up areas that had high grass or were just unsightly in general, even though they were under ALDOT control. Officials said that now the city has permission to clean these areas, and will no longer have to wait for ALDOT’s timetable.
There are other areas of concern currently, such as the lot owned by Walgreens of Millbrook. Tuesday night officials learned that both Walgreens and CVS properties are within ALDOT’s control. Both of the businesses were reportedly told not to mow those areas by ALDOT. It is possible that those areas could also be addressed by the city in the future but were not listed on the specific areas with this resolution.
In order to make this agreement happen, the city authorized the purchase of more lawn care equipment, from the city’s budget.
Equipment that will be purchased includes: One John Deer Z-93MZ for $9,800; and Tractor and cutter attachment – a John Deer 5075E utility tractor for $42,957.30 and MX8 Pull Type Rotary Cutter $6,783.84.
