Wi-Fi coming soon to Spring Park

The Homewood City Council approved a request to add Wi-Fi access to Spring Park.

Spring Park is located at 2525 1/2 Central Ave., which is in the Rosedale neighborhood. Some of the teachers in the Homewood City School System reached out to Ward 5 Representative Jennifer Andress about students living in that area having a difficult time finding access to Wi-Fi so they could complete their distance learning assignments. 

She worked with Ward 1 Representative Andy Gwaltney — who then chaired the Public Works Committee — to put the item on the committee agenda in October. Since then, the Homewood Public Library has reopened and once again offers free Wi-Fi to library cardholders; however, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many restrictions at the library, and patrons can only stay at the library for one hour.

Getting Wi-Fi at the park presented a challenge, Gwaltney said, because air conditioning is needed to keep the equipment cool. IT Department Head James Yates found a Wi-Fi solution for a one-time cost of $2,000 with an ongoing cost of $40 a month.

Also at the Nov. 9 City Council meeting:

• A public hearing was set for Nov. 30 at 6 p.m. for reconsideration to rezone property owned by Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church to permit the development of a surface parking lot for the church. This request failed to get approval at the May 11 City Council meeting.
• The council changed the dates of the regularly scheduled council meetings for the holidays. City Council meetings will be held Nov. 30, Dec. 14 and Dec. 21.
• Homewood Mayor Patrick McClusky announced two upcoming events. The Christmas parade is still on, although many of the details have not been finalized yet, he said. The parade will be Dec. 3. There will also be a Dec. 6 event, the second annual Walk for a Claus, from 1-8 p.m. This is a fundraiser for the Mike Slive Foundation giving people the opportunity to dress as Santa Claus and walk through the streets of Homewood.