HANCEVILLE, Ala.– The Hanceville City Council on Thursday night announced that Welcome Back Hanceville, LLC will purchase the Joann Walls Center property on Bangor Street in downtown Hanceville. Mayor Kenneth Nail opened the sealed bids for two properties at the city council meeting. The Joann Walls Center received two bids, while Lot 12/Wendy Street received no bids.
Nolan Bradford submitted a bid on behalf of Welcome Back Hanceville, LLC. for $90,175 for the Walls Center and agreed to pay in full within three days. The second bid, for $66,000, was made by John Priest.
Before the vote to award the bid, Hanceville City Attorney Dan Willingham said, “I wanted to make it known that I have an interest in Welcome Back Hanceville. I just wanted to make sure that there’s transparency and you all realize that.”
Nail encouraged the council to accept the bid for the Joann Walls Center, saying, “I hope Welcome Back Hanceville will continue to call it the Walls Center. That is near and dear to my heart. What a great lady Joann Walls was.”
The vote to award the bid was unanimous.
Bradford, who was in attendance at Thursday night’s meeting, said he doesn’t have any immediate plans for the building.
The property on Wendy Drive (Lot 12) will be rebid, with sealed bids opened at the council’s Sept. 12 meeting.
The council chose to table several other agenda items including appointments to the Tree Commission and Zoning Board of Adjustments.
Nail said of the open positions, “Anybody out there that lives in town or in the vicinity that wants to serve on some of these boards, call us. We have boards available from time to time and if we have a citizen that wants to serve, we sure want to put them to work.”
He also addressed the council regarding the officer-involved shooting that took place last Sunday.
“It’s been a pretty tough week around here this past week, but I will say that I am proud of our employees and the professionalism they have shown,” he said. “This world can be dangerous sometimes and I want our folks to go home as the end of their shift.”
He reported that the Hanceville Police officer involved is doing well and the family of the Robert Winsford, Sr., who died in the shooting, had a very “cordial” conversation with city officials this week.
The next council meeting will be Aug. 22, 2019 at 6 p.m. with a work session at 5:30. The Hanceville Comprehensive Plan Kick-Off Meeting will be held Aug. 15 from 6-8 p.m. at the Hanceville Civic Center.
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