FOLEY, Ala. — While the economy of late has somewhat blunted the growth that the City of Foley has experienced for years, grass and weeds are impervious to economic trends unfortunately. They have been booming, and 2009 will be remembered in part for an onslaught of grass and weed abatement issues that have plagued the city.

On Monday, city council members approved a resolution setting public hearings for five more properties that have weed problems, something that has been a mainstay on council agendas for most of the summer.

The properties that will be the subject of public hearings are 602 W. Orchid Ave.; 505 Orchard Ave.; 1010 N. Pine St.; Abbey Ridge Detention Pond, common area; and Blue Heron Subdivision.

In a related issue that arose during the visitor comments section of Monday’s agenda, Anthony Noonan of Abbey Ridge Subdivision addressed the council on what he said was a “Property Owners Association problem.”

Noonan, who has lived at Abbey Ridge for two and a half years, said he doesn’t think the POA is being operated on a regular basis, and he has never heard of any POA minutes from meetings.

“We’re worried our infrastructure is going to fall by the wayside,” he told the mayor and council.

Noonan said the 34 homeowners within Abbey Ridge, whose detention pond was on the list of properties to be addressed at a future public hearing, pay $32 a month in POA dues and have little to show for it.

“Every time we need something it’s like pulling teeth,” Noonan said.

He told the council he had come looking for direction.

In Alabama, cities have no legal recourse to get involved in a situation involving property owners and a property owners association, Mayor John Koniar told Noonan.

“I would encourage you to retain legal counsel,” Koniar said.

Koniar repeated that advice when Patricia Ronemous, whose property adjoins Abbey Ridge, complained about the erosion of a grassy walk way between the properties. She also said grass is high in the area of Abbey Ridge that adjoins her property and that water stands in the area and is stagnant, all of which is creating a mosquito problem.

Miriam Schropp of Abbey Ridge told the mayor and council that property owners in Abbey Ridge are “very unhappy over there.”

In other council action on Monday, with Foley Police Department’s recommendation council members approved a Restaurant Retail Liquor license for Chicago Pizzeria and Pub LLC at 21040 A Miflin Road.

Council members reappointed Fran Hall to the Museum Archives Board and Charlie Fisher as chairman of the Senior Citizen Advisory Committee.

Twice during Monday’s meeting council members agreed to suspend the rules for immediate adoption of speed limits. One instance was for speed limit signs for Kennedy Park Subdivision. The other was for adoption of a 50 miles an hour speed limit from the Foley Beach Express to Juniper Street on County Road 20, and 45 miles an hour from Juniper to Ala. Highway 59 on County Road 20. Council members noted the change in speed limits on County Road 20 came about based on an engineering survey and Foley Police Department input.

Funding allocations approved included $4,000 for fireworks in connection with Heritage Harbor Days and $50,000 for lights and trees in connection with a downtown historic district streetscape.

The council also approved a $49,718 emergency generator for use at City Hall and the Civic Center and $13,800 for its installation. Councilmen Ralph Hellmich and Charlie Ebert III abstained on the latter.

Approval was also given for $11,000 in funding for Thompson Engineering to survey the Graham Creek Nature Preserve. The mayor said the survey would allow the city to “get a road laid out.”

The council approved a police request for Wilson Automotive to restore a 2001 Buick back to factory standards by removing lift kits so stock tires and rims can be installed. Wilson Automotive will do the work free of charge if allowed to keep the four rims and tires.

Also, approval was given for the Police Department to reject all bids for the Digital Radio System and re-bid the project.

A resolution was approved accepting a 2010 Library Sciences and Technology Act (LSTA) Information Access Grant. The funds awarded will be $13,691 with the City’s match of $4,564. The funds will be used to purchase eight patron-access computers and one self-checkout system for the Foley Public Library. The council also approved Baker & Taylor and Baker & Taylor Entertainment as the primary source for book purchases and Recorded Books as primary source for audio books.

With no matching funds required, the council approved a resolution accepting a Safe Routes to School Grant for $167,610 awarded by the Alabama Department of Transportation for the installation of solar speed signs, radar feedback signs, traffic control signs, and the creation of an alternate drop-off site to encourage walking and bicycling to school.

The council approved the first reading of a Fire Code Board of Appeals that will hear and consider applications for modifications from the fire code.

The council approved the following dates for events: Heritage Harbor Days on Nov. 6-8; Veteran’s Day parade route on Nov. 8; a special events beer license for the Rotary Club for Nov. 6-8 (Ebert abstained); and the Oyster Fest run on Nov. 14 (Ebert abstained).

GENERAL FUND BUDGET:

Mayor John Koniar called the General Fund Operating Budget that the city council recently passed “very conservative,” but was quick to add that the budget does not reflect a “train wreck.”

In comments made following Monday’s city council meeting, Koniar said, “The city is doing well; we’re maintaining services.

“Things aren’t going to get any worse but they’re not going to get any better,” is the way the mayor described the thinking that went into the budget for this fiscal year.

“I’m hoping things will be a little better than we’re expecting,” Koniar said

The new budget calls for no raises for city employees, not even cost of living raises. But Koniar said within six months or so something might be done for city employees if finances improve.

“We’re going to continue to look at that,” he said, and noted that he will be meeting with city employees within a couple of weeks or so to apprise them of the situation.

Last fiscal year, city employees received a 3.5 percent cost of living raise and a merit raise that was expected to average 3.5 percent.

Koniar said he has not received any complaints from employees about not getting raises under the new budget.

“We did manage not to lay anybody off,” he said, noting that avoiding layoffs was an action that city employees had supported.

While Koniar did not have the budget figures before him following the council meeting, he said the new budget projected revenues of approximately $23 million and $20 million in expenditures. That contrasted with what he said was approximately $26 million in projected revenues for 2008-2009 and $24 million in expenditures.

Actual General Fund Operating Budget projections for 2009-2010 are $23,143,370 in revenues and $20,283,435 in expenditures.