Pittsview Elementary School project vote delayed in Russell County commission meeting

RUUSSELL COUNTY, Ala. (WTVM) - A Russell County project, approximately seven months in the works, will have to wait a little longer before the real work can take place.

The bid for the Pittsview Elementary School Project was delayed for the third time due to all the commissioners not in attendance during the meeting on July 26, and the commission agreed to give every commissioner an opportunity to vote on the item.

Russell County District Seven Commissioner Larry Screws said he has been working on putting in a park with walking trails and other things for the community to do in the Pittsview area of Russell County.

The idea stems from the COVID-19 pandemic, and people not having anything healthy to do during the period of being cooped up in the house.

Screws said part of the hold up was getting the school district to donate the property to the county.

Now that it’s happened and the commission is leasing it, the next step is for the commission to vote on if they’ll use American Rescue Plan funds to clear the 20 or so acres.

According to Screws, if approved it will happen in several phases.

“I’m real excited about it. The communities real excited about it. We had community people to come together and decide what they wanted to do with it and make recommendations. We took those recommendations and moved forward,” Screws said.

According to Screws, the total price tag is unclear right now.

The project is expected to come back up at the next Russell County commission meeting.

Screws said even if all the commissioners are not there, if they can establish a quorum, meaning the minimum required number of commissioners are present, they will still vote.

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