Northport Reallocates $105K To Go Toward Massive Sinkhole Repair At City Hall

NORTHPORT, AL — After substantial cosmetic improvements to Northport City Hall & Civic Center, city officials hope to finally be on the way to ridding itself of an unexpected eyesore.

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Those driving by City Hall on McFarland Boulevard can visibly see the silk-covered chainlink fence sealing off a large section on the eastern side of the property, where a massive sinkhole had slowly grown for months.

Northport Finance Director Darren McGee said the supplemental funding to go toward the sinkhole repairs would come from a little more than $105,000 in unallocated revenue from the city's 1-cent sales tax — dubbed Northport First Funds.

"I'm glad we're getting it fixed," said District 3 Councilman John Hinton during Monday's pre-meeting briefing by City Administrator Glenda Webb. "The price keeps going up."

The approved money for the large sinkhole project will also go toward fixing another sinkhole that recently formed on the back side of the City Hall property.

Last December, the City Council unanimously approved the contract to fix the sinkhole, accepting a bid from John Plott Co. in the total amount of $993,753.61.

"There have also been several deliveries of large concrete pipe delivered here," Webb said. "So there is a lot of work going on."

Northport City Council President Jeff Hogg told Patch he was glad to finally see progress being made to mitigate the sinkhole issue.

"Although costly, it was the right thing to do as the end result is to give the citizens a city they can be proud of in all aspects," he said.

He then remembered back to when the sinkhole first appeared, when he was on the Council's Retail Development Committee with former Council President Jay Logan. At the time, he said the two were working to develop ideas for cleaning up the area with new and vibrant upscale buildings to house tenants bringing national brands to Northport.

Indeed, this was before the construction of retail space for several popular brands that have since opened along McFarland Boulevard, including nearby Planet Fitness.

"Taking the lead, Council President Jay Logan assured the developer and all tenants that this situation would be rectified and the City has made good on our promise," Hogg said. “Although it took awhile to uncover all of the issues, I am proud that the City took a deliberate approach of seeking professional services to find the root of the issue and address it. A lot of people want things done overnight, but our citizens tax dollars will not be spent loosely just for time sake, but rather for doing it right the first time.”

The Council also approved another unrelated $80,000 allocation for repairs to damage at the Levee Trail, which the City of Northport maintains. Webb said the hope is that this specific project will be reimbursable.

Both of the Northport First Fund reallocations received favorable recommendations from the Northport City Council Finance Committee, in addition to unanimous approval by the full Council.

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