Jeremy Griffith

The City Council work session agenda included several key discussion points. The session commenced with interviews conducted for positions on the Parks & Recreation Board. Subsequent discussion topics involved a budget adjustment necessitated by Civic Center roof repairs, a proposal from Life Church regarding the striping of parallel parking spaces within the city right-of-way, an update concerning the Welcome Sign on Highway 31 North (Caring Place), and consideration of authorizing the Mayor to sign an agreement with Book Systems Inc. for library services migration to the Cloud.

Key discussions and actions included the final consideration and adoption of Ordinance 1637, which revises the Solid Waste Ordinance. The Council also adopted Ordinance 1646, which updates the Cemetery Ordinance to grant the Mayor more authority, update regulations, and reduce the number of Cemetery Board members to five. Ordinance 1643, concerning the prohibition of replacing non-conforming mobile homes, was introduced for consideration. Resolution 26-0210 was approved, authorizing the striping of four parallel parking spaces along Cedar Street for Life Church, contingent on a memorandum of understanding. A budget adjustment of $66,675.00 was approved for the Parks & Recreation Department to cover significant roof repairs at the Civic Center. Authorization was granted for the Mayor to sign an agreement with Book Systems Inc. for the Library's upgrade to the Cloud system, transferring all server responsibilities. An alcohol license for Pizza Hut (Retail Beer and Retail Table Wines) was approved contingent upon passing final inspections. Several appointments were made to the Parks & Recreation Board for various full and unexpired terms. A new Police Officer was sworn in, and SRO Officer Zeke Eubanks was recognized as Officer of the Year. The Mayor provided an update on business license collections and announced the City received a "gold" recognition from its insurance carrier for claim reduction.

The work session focused on several agenda items for discussion. These included potential changes to the Cemetery Ordinance and the Solid Waste Ordinance, discussions on a budget adjustment for Development Incentive Reimbursement, and consideration of a temporary traffic signal at Lando Cain Road. Further discussions covered the HEMP ordinance, the creation of a new job description for the Development Department, budget adjustments related to establishing a police canine unit, and an update on the Library/Event Center project. The session also included interviews for an alternate position on the Board of Zoning Adjustment.

The Council introduced two ordinances for revision: Ordinance 1637 concerning the Solid Waste Ordinance, and Ordinance 1646 regarding the Cemetery Ordinance, which proposes reducing board members from seven to five and requiring City residency for new members. A budget adjustment of $210,000.00 was approved for the Development Incentive Reimbursement line item to compensate WEScorp, LLC developers for completing a required turn lane. The Council conditionally authorized the Mayor to sign professional services agreements with Fite Building Company for construction management services for the Library/Event Venue, contingent on removing the arbitration clause, and with Lathan Architects as the architect for the same project, with a fee not to exceed $500,000.00. Approval was granted to establish a Canine Unit for the Police Department, requiring budget adjustments for related expenses and payroll. Additionally, the Council approved the selection of Safety Award Winners, declared a 2011 John Deere Tractor, three Diamond Flail Mowers, and two old truck bed fuel tanks surplus for sale on GovDeals, and appointed Noah Brazelton as an alternate to the Board of Zoning Adjustment.

The City Council meeting addressed several key items, including the rezoning of Highway 31 South, authorization of Sunday alcohol sales, and the approval of the 2026 Rebuild Alabama Annual Grant for Bethel Road. The council also discussed and approved a portion of the CIP Budget and authorized the Mayor to sign Professional Engineering Agreements with Three Notch Group for additional engineering design work on the ATRIP2/HWY31/Sparkman Street Grant Project and the TAP Bethel Street Sidewalk Grant project. Applications for positions on the Cemetery Board and Board of Zoning Adjustment were announced.