By Alison James
Associate Editor
The council did not take up as an agenda item a highly-discussed beer and wine license for the new Tiger 13 Opelika movie theater at its meeting Tuesday.
“After we had the work session, there were some new developments,” said council President Eddie Smith. “Carmike called and said they might want to offer some other ideas of ways to help the community feel better about the passage of it … We never had it on the agenda, so it wasn’t pulled. It was just never approved to be put on the agenda … to give the people the opportunity to listen to the new considerations and make the decision as to whether or not that swayed their vote.
Smith said the vote will be on the agenda for the May 20 meeting.
(Editor’s note: The “Opelika Observer” appreciates all who contributed to our discussion on the alcohol license. Your comments and concerns have been shared with the council.)
The Opelika City Council approved a couple of street closures at its meeting. One requested closure was for an upcoming community event – Touch-A-Truck, which invites children of all ages who are vehicle enthusiasts to come out and enjoy a morning among cars and trucks of all sorts.
“We’ll just have tons of vehicles – everything – from race cars to trucks to fire trucks to bulldozers,” said Opelika Main Street Director Pam Powers-Smith.
The event will be held June 14 from 9 a.m. to noon and will be free to the public. Powers-Smith said children are mesmerized by the vehicles that Touch-a-Truck brings to the public.
“They always see police cars or fire trucks but they’re really far away, so this is just a fun opportunity for them to get a VIP treatment and actually get to see the inside,” Powers-Smith said. “I think it’s also interesting for them to see the bucket trucks and the bulldozers.”
Touch-A-Truck will be held downtown on Railroad Avenue. Powers-Smith said they encourage people to stay downtown after the event to eat lunch and shop.
The council also approved a street closure for a block party June 8 on 7th Avenue.
The council also:
– heard proclamations from the mayor for Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month; Small Business Week; and these students: Adam Cason, Colten Dunson, Whitt Krehling and Jacob Walker, who all qualified as Duke TIP Scholars, and India Dow, Will McDonough and Marcus Marshall, who earned AMEA scholarships.
– ordered demolitions at 100A, 100B, 102 and 104 Jeter Avenue.
– approved expense reports.
– approved a change order related to repairs for a pumper truck.
– approved a special use permit for Verizon.
– voted to allow the mayor to sign a grant application for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant.
– reappointed Patricia Jones and Herbert Slaughter to the Opelika Utilities Board and renewed employee contracts for Lori B. Huguley, Economic Development Director, and Craig Uptagrafft, Manager of Fiber Services.
– approved a resolution declaring Dozier SmithT the concilmember for Ward 3, for a term ending Nov. 3, 2016.
– suspended the rules to approve a project development agreement between the city and PC Opelika, LLC, for the development of buildings at 2600 Pepperell Parkway.