Rockford seeking new council member
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By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
The Town of Rockford is accepting applications for a Town Council vacancy following the resignation of Councilmember Kimberly Crowe.
Crowe and Councilmember Robert Smith were not present for last Tuesday evening’s meeting. Mayor Scott White said that Crowe’s resignation was effective as of September 30, and he read the letter from Crowe.
That letter, dated September 30, stated that it was her notice of “formal resignation from the town council position for the Town of Rockford, effective today.”
The letter reads, “My decision to resign was made after long and careful consideration, as I have sincerely enjoyed my time as a council member. I am deeply appreciative of the numerous opportunities this position has provided to build skills in numerous areas for me. I am thankful for the opportunity to work with you and the other council members. I wish the Town of Rockford and the current administration the very best going forward.”
The council unanimously approved accepting Crowe’s letter of resignation. White stated that they have two months to fill the vacant position and that the town would be advertising the vacancy in the newspaper.
In a meeting that only lasted about 15 minutes, the Town Council also discussed and approved allocations for the town’s COVID-19 funds. White stated that the town had received the second round of funds and that it had approximately $74,000 left to utilize.
He said that the County Commission would be allocating funds to the volunteer fire departments and mentioned working together.
He further mentioned the possibility of the town purchasing automatic external defibrillators, or AEDs, for the senior center. He stated that he was looking into trying to get three AEDs donated by one of the electric companies, but said if that donation does not come to fruition the town could use some of the COVID-19 funds to purchase those.
Additionally, White stated that the town received a letter from Tina Fuller with Manna Ministries of Rockford Baptist Church requesting funds to help stock the Blessing Box. He said that the box in Rockford is being utilized more because of inflation and the current economy.
The box, located along U.S. Highway 231 in Rockford next to the Coosa County Republican Party headquarters, generally has dried, canned and other nonperishable food items in it to help those in need. Members of the community are welcome to donate to or take from the Blessing Box as they wish.
White said that the organization was requesting $1,000 to help keep the box stocked, with that amount being enough to purchase approximately 5,500 pounds of food. He added that the church is looking at possibly putting out additional boxes in other communities and that the church hosts monthly free community dinners separate from the Blessing Box.
In a letter dated October 18, Fuller wrote, “Because of the changes in our economy people are finding themselves in the position of making some hard choices. Most are having to choose between [sic] food, fuel, or pharmacy because their dollar is not stretching far enough to meet the cost of all three. We, as a community, must help each other as each of our needs arise. …Manna Ministries is a self-supporting food ministry for our community. We are not financially supported by the church, but depend upon donations to be able to provide this service. During COVID-19 the church placed and maintained a Blessing Box which is located in front of the Masonic Lodge. This box is filled with food, and anyone can come and receive a blessing at any time – no questions asked.”
The letter further states that Manna Ministries is now also providing food on an as needed basis to the community, in conjunction with the Blessing Box and the monthly community dinner. In emphasizing that the organization depends on donations to maintain this ministry, she stated that all funds go directly to the purchase of food.
The letter further reads, “At this time we would like to ask you to consider a donation of $1,000 to help this much needed service in Rockford and our surrounding community. Statistics show that the average adult consumes 1,990 pounds of food in one year. Because we are partnered with the Montgomery Area Food Bank, we can use your generous donation to purchase approximately 5,500 pounds of food.”
After discussion, the council unanimously approved utilizing COVID-19 funds for purchasing AEDs for the senior center contingent on whether the power company donates any. If the donation does not come through, the town will order three new AEDs.
Further, the council also unanimously approved a $1,000 donation from the COVID-19 funds to Manna Ministries of Rockford Baptist Church to help stock food for the Blessing Box.
In other business, White mentioned upcoming events for Rockford, including the trunk-or-treat on Monday, Veterans Day dinner on November 11 and Rockin’ Coosa Christmas event and parade on December 10.
No action was taken on the matter as White stated that he wanted to share the information on those upcoming events to keep everyone updated. While there will be no fall decorating contest, the town will be gearing up for a Christmas decorating contest, with more information on that coming soon.
The next regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the Rockford Town Council will be held at 6 p.m. November 15.