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[SOA_Wes]

I was sick last week and I was catching up on my Tribune reading and I read about the large scale annexation of areas east of Arab at http://www.thearabtribune.com/articles/2009/02/19/news/news1.txt .

I'm just wondering that if this goes through will Arab have to build a new fire station #2 on the East side of Arab? 

[worriedaboutteachingjobs]

I don't know about the fire station issue.  I do however know that if this annexation goes through many teachers in the area will loose their jobs due to the decreased enrollment at Grassy and Brindlee Mountain.  These are professionals who worked very hard to obtain their degree and continue their education for the sake of their students.  These dedicated individuals could have chosen to put their talents in the corporate world but chose the children of Brindlee Mountain.  And I do mean chose.  These teachers could have worked at more popular schools, but asked to be at Brindlee or Grassy. 

Many people are unaware of the greatness of these two schools.  Brindlee's Cross Country team finished 2nd place in the county the last two years with state participants, Brindlee won the Spelling Bee for Marshall County Schools 2009.  The basketball team won the area tournament 2009.  The scholar's bowl team is always the team to beat. 

No, I am not a teacher at either of these schools, but a concerned citizen for the children at Brindlee and Grassy Schools that will loose their individuality at a large Arab school.  With the threat of Claysville School closing, this is another blow to Marshall County Schools.

[BubbaB]

I hate to say it but Brindlee Mountain should have never been built.  It is a complete and total waste of money since there already schools in place more than capable of handling the kids in that area.  It was and continues to be a financial blunder for Marshall County School Board. 

As far as the elementary school goes it appears the City of Arab has stopped short of attempting to bring it in the city and that's good.  I think the whole idea for trying to annex the whole east side is, for a lack of better word, STUPID!  If we should moving in any direction it should be North not East.   

And the fact that the city council has appointed someone to the board that has a chance to get personal gain out of the deal is a even a bigger reason to question everything about this.   I'm sure there is some law about using his type of appointment for personal gain and that sure as hell looks like he is doing on that board trying to move the city limits closer to his devlopment so he can use all those wonderful city features to bring up the price of those homes that he built without having to pay city fees and such.

[the fatman]

First, my question is the age old philosophical conundrum of "why". Why does the city of Arab need to annex this area?

 Now, before feathers get ruffled, I know that there are many good reasons to be inside the city limits. Please don't start quoting them to me. My question is, why this area, and why now? Did a large majority of homeowners and land owners in the proposed annexation area approach the Arab City Council and request it? Right now, no one seems to know..........Curious.

Further, schools are currently under a budget crunch in Alabama. Why would Arab City want to pull in an additional 100-200 students? Easy; for the funds that these children would mean to their system. The state pays the school systems a certain dollar amount per child to run the school system. This could mean an influx of 500,000 to 600,000 of new revenue immediately. Now, of course, a large chunk of this would have to be allocated for the salaries of teachers that would have to be hired to be sure the system is covering its foundation requirements. But what about the property taxes..... They would now be sent to the city coffers for distribution.

Don't get me wrong, Arab is a great place to live. The school system is excellent...one of the finest in the state. Everything seems to be "clicking" well for them..........so why do they need or want to annex the grassy area?

Many reasons can be cited. There were lots of feelings hurt when Marshall County built Brindlee Mountain High. This school pulled away over 350 students from Arab High, causing them to lay off teachers, reduce programs, etc. This argument is still there, and will probably never go away. But they were well within their right to build a school and retain the students within the system, as well as the funding that goes along.

Originally, I was not for the construction of Brindlee Mountain High. I thought that it was a galactically bad idea. However, watching this school grow, and seeing the students flourish there and stand out (where in a larger school they may have just been a face in the crowd) I feel that I may have been in the wrong. The school is just beginning to find its identity, and be a symbol of pride for the surrounding community. If the annexation of the Grassy area is allowed to come to fruition, then within a few years, the idea of what could have been at Brindlee Mountain High and Middle will cease. The proud tradition and educational excellence that has been a moniker at Grassy Elementary will cease to exist.  It will all be annexed out of existence.

If you feel that perhaps what I have said sounds a little to far fetched to happen, look across the bridge to Claysville. 10 years ago Claysville boasted an enrollment close to 300. Due to the City of Gutersville and its aggressive annexation of that area, the school is now down to less than 200, and is poised to be closed permanently at the end of this year.

My advice to everyone who has a stake in this situation is to let your voice be heard. If the majority of citizens in the proposed area are for the annexation, then so be it. But if they are not...........................Take a stand.

[Anonymous]

A community meeting will be held Sunday, March 1 at 2:30 p.m. in the Brindlee Mountain High School gymnasium concerning the annexation of county property into the City of Arab.  The Citizens Against Annexation invite all interested parties to attend.

[Michelle Hicks]

Everyone that is invovled in the annexation area should stand up and speak out. This not only involves the schools but the community as a whole. I'm totally against this annexation along with everyone that I've even mentioned it with. Arab needs to back off and let our children stay at the schools that they have gone to their whole life. This not only will lay teachers off , whom have dedicated their lives to our children and their welfare but could close schools in our system. Look at claysville for example. Arab has enough problems. Leave our children alone.

[BubbaB]

If I lived out in the area that is being considered I would be upset too and would fight it to the end - I hope you guys do. 

[Anonymous]

Courtesy of WAFN-FM FUN 92.7 at www.fun927.com

A crowd of county residents from areas that would directly be effected by annexation into Arab's city limits came to tell their concerns to the Arab city council at Monday night's meeting.  Education; fire, ambulance and police service; property taxes; and sewer service were a few of the group's issues as outlined in a letter to the editor by David Webb, chairman of Citizens Against Annexation. 

Mayor Gary Beam responded by dissolving the annexation committee that he had recently appointed.  But the mayor avoided a response to Grassy School parent Sharon Price's request that the city refrain from any other annexation action for at least six months to give the newly organized group Citizens Against Annexation an opportunity to meet with the Marshall County Legislative Delegation.  Beam stated that the city would welcome the annexation petition of anyone and invited the county residents to show their support for the city of Arab by attending the Arab Chamber of Commerce  Annual Celebration on Thursday, March 12.  Tickets for the event are $10.00 for adults. No kidding.   

Walley Estates developer Roger Isom of RTI properties, who sources say would benefit financially through annexation by having the city of Arab take on the responsibility of improving the development's crumbling roads, attended the council meeting but did not speak regarding the matter.  One Walley Estates homeowner who attended a gathering of concerned citizens on Sunday at Brindlee Mountain High School claimed that percolation tests for septic fields proved inadequate.  Annexation would provide the homeowners with the opportunity to tie into Arab's sewer system at an estimated cost of $2000 each, but only if the city found the finances to expand the system that way.

Isom was also behind the scenes of last year's Applebee's controversy involving a proposal by the city's Commercial Development Authority to offer generous tax concessions to the chain to lure them to Arab.  Isom, as the property owner of the proposed Applebee's location, stood to benefit from that arrangement as well. 

Isom, along with two other CDA members, was reappointed to the authority at the same meeting by unanimous vote of the council members.  The motion to accept the slate was made by council member and former mayor Johnny Hart.  Last year the CDA also proposed building an Arab airport and convinced the city council to spend $12,000 on a feasibility study.  The results of that study have not been published.   A former city council member said that Isom's involvement with the CDA is a conflict of interest

Representatives of Citizens Against Annexation will travel to Montgomery Tuesday, March 3 to meet with Senator Hinton Mitchem (D-District 9) and Representative Jeff McLaughlin (D-District 27).  The group will include chairman Webb and Price who will report their findings at a public meeting to be held Sunday, March 8 at 2:30 p.m. in the Brindlee Mountain High School cafeteria.  More than 150 concerned citizens attended a meeting that had been cancelled this past Sunday.

[SOA_Wes]

Well that is interesting - Wouldn't Isom's appointment be a major conflict of interest ? 

[Anonymous]

Update:  There was a confrontation in the city hall parking lot after last night's meeting between Roger Isom and two men from the Grassy area.  Details are sketchy, but one of the men apparently told Roger that he no longer would be renting one of Roger's storage units.  Roger allegedly responded by saying  that "everyone from Grassy was nothing more than trailer trash", and then made some statement regarding his massive wealth.  It was reported that the men had to be separated by another man.  There were several witnesses to the altercation.