LINCOLN — The Lincoln City Council has approved two measures to help the city deal with mold at its second fire station. 

During its regular meeting Tuesday the council approved a contract for professional remediation services by Legacy Restoration in the amount of $40,972.62 and a contract for interior demolition by Apex Restoration DKI in the amount of $22,062.18. 

Building Inspector Adam Thrasher said the two contracts come from a bid package developed from a mold remediation protocol the city had been given by a specialist. Fire Chief Josh Vincent said the fire station has been shut down since April 7 after black mold was found in a wall. 

Councilwoman Jennie Jones asked if the contracts meant the city would actually be able to fully remediate the building and bring it back into use.

Thrasher said the contracts are part of the process to make that determination but need to be done before a final determination could be made.

“This is removing all the wall coverings, floor coverings, ceiling coverings, ductwork and insulation,” he said. “Which have to be done anyway for mold remediation steps.”

Thrasher said that after all of that material is removed the city will need to retest the building to make sure the building is free of mold. 

“That would be the deciding factor if it can be salvaged I guess,” he said.

Jones also wondered why the problem had come up and asked Thrasher if the building hadn’t been designed properly. Thrasher said the issue was more that it had not been built as designed. He said the window sizes were increased during construction and some needed ventilation was left out of the building's attic.

“Adding extra glazing on that type of building and not upping you heating an air system will cause your heating and air system to underperform and not circulate the air changes like it should,” Thrasher said. 

Councilman Joey Callahan, who once served as Lincoln’s assistant fire chief, said he was involved in the design of the building and that the issue came from its construction. 

“That was substandard work that was done on it to begin with,” he said.

Callahan said the building was funded by the State of Alabama and while it was bid the city ended up using inmate labor. 

“They strong armed us into using the state corrections construction company,” he said. “There was no accountability, there was no oversight and it was a terrible thing. 

Thrasher said the next step for the building if it can be fully remediated is to redesign the ventilation system and possibly put in new AC units to ensure the problem never happens again. He said then the city will just be a matter of rebuilding the interior. 

Fire Chief Josh Vincent said the mold has been an issue for years. He said the station was first remediated during a remodel in 2015, but that did not address the base problem. 

The chief said while the station has been shut down all personnel and front line apparatus have been working out of station one to ensure no interruptions of service. 

In other matters, the council:

—Held a public hearing to discuss using $1,250 in public funds for a contract with Fishers of Men Alabama Trail Tournaments, no one spoke at the hearing and the resolution allowing the payment was approved. Mayor Lew Watson said the contract will allow the city to host five to seven tournaments with the organization;

—Held a public hearing for multiple zoning issues, no one spoke to any of the issues;

—Approved a resolution to adopt the division g multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan;

—Approved a resolution providing funds for a lump sum payment to eligible retired city employees as required by Alabama Act 2022-229. Callahan abstained as he is a retired city employee;

—Approved the grass and weed abatement of properties on Oak Drive, Texas Lane and Jackson Lane;

—Approved rezoning of property on Holly Hills Road owned by Edward Bently from residential single family to residential estate;

—Approved rezoning a property on Hackney Street owned by Joshua and Brittany Gaddy from residential single family to residential estates;

—Approved correcting the zoning of land located on Riverbend Lane from general business for manufactured housing;

—Approved an ordinance amending the zoning ordinance to add single family detached as a permitted use for leisure commercial zones, add manufactured/modular home individual as a permitted use for manufactured housing zones and add vehicle sales and rental as a permitted use in manufacturing 2 zones;

—Approving an ordinance amending the zoning ordinance to add requirements for leisure commercial zones;

—Approved ordinance to remove wording that allowed manufactured homes in residential single family zones; 

—Appointed Clint Shaddix, for a term expiring Oct. 26, 2024, Don Palmore, for a term expiring Oct. 26, 2023, and William Poarch, for a term expiring Oct. 26, 2022, to the Zoning Board of Adjustments;

—Approved the pausing of issuing permits for the placement of modular homes as recently classified by the Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission until the Planning and Zoning Commission may determine proper placement of such units in the city's zoning districts

— Approved a motion by Callahan for the city to hire engineer Ben Watson to look at drainage issues throughout the city. Councilman Brandon Tate voted against the measure citing concerns about not having a price associated with the measure. The city had previously approved hiring an engineer to look at drainage issues on McCaig Road though Callahan said that contract had not been signed, despite it being sent to the mayor. Watson said during the meeting he had not seen the contract and said after that it had not been sent to him yet. 

Taylor Mitchell is a Daily Home reporter covering Pell City.

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