DeKalb County Tourism Director John Dersham, in giving the Fort Payne City Council an update on visitor numbers to the area last week, said tourism numbers in DeKalb County have been very strong in recent years.
He said the amount of money spent on tourism in DeKalb County has doubled in eight years, reaching a staggering $159 million in the county last year.
“In 2023, travel and tourism will generate $1.4 billion in state and local tax revenue, making it the second-largest industry in Alabama after agriculture,” he said.
He said there has been an interesting trend in tourism recently.
“We’ve seen an explosion in visitation in 2021,” Dersham said. After the COVID-19 pandemic eased and people felt it was safe to go outside, they migrated to recreational areas such as DeKalb County, Alabama, which has parks and campgrounds. “We’re one of the best places to be,” he said.
In big cities like Birmingham and Huntsville,
When it comes to convention and conference traffic and business travel, numbers have recovered slowly.
“They bounced back explosively last year,” Darsham explained, “and we just let loose. Those cities saw bigger growth than us last year.” Meanwhile, the pattern has normalized in leisure travel areas.
This year, Dersham said the DeKalb County Tourism Association will continue to promote the area. He thanked the Legislature for their continued support. “You’ve got a new travel guide. We work with the Southern Torch/Times Journal and we put it out once a year. It’s very nice, it’s magazine size,” he said, something not many counties publish. “We’re very proud of it.”
Mr Darsham said the number of accommodation options in the area has been consistently strong, with short-term rentals also on the rise.
Mayor Brian Bain delivered good news to Fort Payne residents on Tuesday: He received a call on July 12 informing them that approval had been granted for the installation of a traffic light at U.S. 11 and Airport Road.
“This is a long time coming,” Bain said. “We’re going to get that light.”
The City Council approved an agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation to upgrade traffic signals at the South Y at U.S. Highway 11 and Highway 35 because of the Food City development. The agreement will upgrade the traffic lights. In response to questions, Bain said he was unsure what traffic flow would be like at the Food City Shopping Center.
“It doesn’t really matter what we think,” said City Council Member Lynn Brewer, “ALDOT is going to do what they want to do. They know more about it than I do.”
After much discussion on the pros and cons of purchasing the vehicles, which can be hard to come by, the council approved the purchase of five 2024 Chevrolet Tahoes for the police department. Police Chief David Davis recommended approving the purchase of five vehicles, but a motion was made at this time to only purchase three Tahoes, which was voted down.
But after further discussing the issue, council members reasoned that by purchasing three of the vehicles for about $120,000 and rotating or selling two, the city could purchase the remaining two for about $30,000.
“It makes sense in a way,” Watson said. It’s an investment the city can leverage, and a move toward a fleet plan that rotates vehicles regularly and sells them before they depreciate in value and become expensive to maintain. The motion to purchase the five vehicles was approved.
The mayor reported that the city pool had to close a week earlier than normal because of a leak that needed to be repaired. The pool closed on July 26. The mayor said the pool needed “much attention” and that it needed to be addressed with the city’s budget. The city has already spent $110,000 on pumps for the pool, he said.
The skate park at the complex has received warnings from the city’s insurance company, which has requested some changes. Bain said the park has been closed and the city is looking for a new site to build one.
The city is considering putting a batting center, something that has been needed for some time, at the site of the skate park.
Watson reiterated that the city plans to build a new and better skate park and is consulting with concerned citizens about it.
Bain said city leaders have recognized the desire to increase youth-oriented activities since the city’s study linked to the city’s Master Plan. “This takes time and it takes people who are willing to invest in it for the city,” he said. “We’re making progress on that.”
The mayor also commented on recent developments in the country.
“Given the current state of our country, it doesn’t matter where you are or what side of the aisle you’re on, this is a time for us to work together,” he said. “We’re at a critical point in American history where we have to work together.”
The mayor said there’s no better place to do that than at the local level. “Do we agree on everything? No. But we can agree on disagreements and move forward and get what we need to do to take this country back,” he said of the ideals that founded the country.
The City Council held a public hearing on a proposed application from Food City for a license to sell beer and wine on-site. No one spoke for or against the permit.
At the end of the meeting the Council went into standing session to discuss trade and commerce.
