BY MICHELLE KEY
MICHELLE@
OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
OPELIKA — During its March 5 meeting, the Opelika City Council voted to table the ordinance that proposed the rezoning of property located at 414 N. 10th St. from R2 to an I1 (industrial zone.)
The council announced plans to consider amending the current city ordinance pertaining to the R2 zone to allow for a provisional use permit for a bed and breakfast to operate within the zone without the property having to be rezoned.
“What I care about is that the public knows that we, as the council, was listening to what they were saying and try to react accordingly,” said Council President Eddie Smith. “We want to have everybody happy, but that is not a possibility; but it is a possibility to make most of them happy, and so what we did tonight was move away from a rezoning and move to what they [citizens opposed to the rezoning] were okay with — it being a bed and breakfast — but they don’t want it rezoned, so that is what we’re going to try to do.”
Smith said the process to do a text amendment to an ordinance can take approximately 90 days.
“It has to go through the very same things that other zoning requests go through,” he explained. “The reason we tabled it rather than deny it was because it could not come back for [consideration] for a year.”
Ward 3 council member Tim Aja publicly addressed some of the correspondence he received in which a threat was made toward the council.
“The few communications that went straight to threatening legal action against this body and trying to intimidate us into not doing our job is not well received,” Aja said. “Let me be absolutely clear; we do not take that intimidation lightly. It is not to be done and don’t expect anything but an antagonistic response in the future. It is your right to file suit if you feel that you want to. That is fine. But do not threaten.”
JOB WELL DONE
Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller and Sutricia Johnson from Keep Opelika Beautiful recognized Davis Fischer, a first-grade student from Jeter Primary School for a job well-done. Recently, while on the way to school, Davis noticed some trash littering the side of the road and asked his dad if he could take him back to the area after school so that he could pick up the trash.
Davis is the son of Jonathan Fischer, assistant prinicpal at Fox Run School and Kelly Fischer, principal at Opelika High School.
Davis received a certificate and a gift from the city of Opelika for his efforts to help Keep Opelika Beautiful.
OTHER BUSINESS
- The council approved a downtown street closure for “Wheels on the Tracks” event on April 20.
- The council approved a downtown street closure for “Taste of the Town” event on April 23.
- The council approved a downtown street closure for the Opelika Songwriter’s Festival event on May 17.
- The council approved a temporary street closure for the Sportsplex Triathlon for Kids event on Aug. 3.
- The council awarded the bid for the Pepperell Village sidewalk upgrades to Evergreen Siteworks LLC in the amount of nearly $372,000.
- The council awarded the bid for Construction Services for Substation 10 to Service Electric Co. in the amount of $921,115.
- The council awarded the bid for the Opelika City Hall basement renovations to Whatley Construction in an amount of a little over $1.5 million.
- The council awarded the bid for the Opelika Public Works Building to Whatley Construction in the amount of just over $5.725 million.
- The council approved the expense reports from various departments.
- The council designated city personal property as surplus and authorized its disposal.
- The council approved the renewal of Nuance Dragon Software from CDW Government LLC for the IT Department. The annual subscription amount is nearly $71,500.
- The council approved an agreement with John Randall Wilson, architect for Opelika Public Works Building and City Hall Basement Renovations.
- The council approved the funding agreement for extension of Northpark Drive and construction of new bridge Across Halawakee Creek. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $4,037,280: $2,537,280 for the Northpark Drive extension and $1.5 million for the new bridge construction.
- The council approved a professional services agreement with Hydro Engineering Solutions, a division of Hydro LLC for a hydraulic study to replace drainage structures on Blackhawk Drive. The estimated fee for the services is $17,500.
- The council approved the sale of a surplus bucket truck to the Opelika City Schools Board of Education for $15,000.
- The council approved the utility encroachment agreement with Gary and Barbara Gullett.
- The council agreed to designate Mayor Gary Fuller as the city’s voting delegate at the 2024 ALM Annual Convention.
- The council approved a special appropriation to 3D Youth Development Academy Inc. for the amount of $3,000.
- The council approved a special appropriation to Southern Union State Community College Foundation for the amount of $5,000.
- The council also voted to table the proposed ordinance to amend the master plan for 24.05 acres in the Brookstone planned unit development (PUD). The property is located at 1001 Fox Run Parkway.
- The council heard the first reading to approve the leasing of the property located at 1103 Glenn Street to Envision Opelika Foundation Inc. for a period not to exceed one year and for an amount of $10 per year.
- The council reappointed Steve Bordeaux, Steve Chapman and David Scott and to the Opelika Industrial Development Authority (OIDA) for a terms ending March 8, 2028.
During the second public comment period, Michael Ferguson addressed council expressing his opinion that the Ope’Loser trash campaign is insulting and distasteful.
“I thought that was very degrading,” he said. “That’s not good, we don’t need to be calling our young people losers.”
Following the final item, Smith called for a motion to adjourn the meeting and Ward 2 Council Member Erica Norris interrupted, saying “Excuse me, you [addressing Smith] gave out instructions to everybody on this city council except the lone female, and I would like to know why …the lone female is not given an assignment today …”
Smith continued to call for adjournment while Norris continued speaking.
“I am going to continue to talk,” she said.
“I don’t care,” Smith responded.
“Okay, very good, I would like to know why the lone female was not given an assignment today, especially disrespecting Women’s History Month,” Norris said. “I don’t appreciate that, Councilman Smith. Anybody that is here today should feel some kind of way knowing how Councilman Smith does business.”
Norris continued to address the room for several minutes following the meeting, eventually thanking people for listening to “her tirade.”
The next city council meeting will be held on March 19.