BY MICHELLE KEY | PUBLISHER
OPELIKA — The Opelika City Council unanimously voted to rename The Southside Center for the Arts in honor of Barbara H. Patton. The center will be renamed the “Barbara H. Patton Southside Center for the Arts” according to the resolution read during the Tuesday night’s council meeting.
The resolution approved by the council says in part “Barbara was elected Opelika’s first female mayor in 1996, serving two terms, with her second term ending in 2004. … Barbara has worked tirelessly over the years to promote, advance, develop and expand the reach of artistic endeavors in the Opelika-Auburn community, including service as President of the Opelika Arts Association; and Barbara is the person most responsible for restoring and revitalizing the historic building known as the Southside Center for the Arts (formerly Southside Elementary School) located at 1103 Glenn Street; and the Southside Center for the Arts provides a platform for the performing arts, visual arts and literary arts and offers spaces for performances, exhibitions and education.… the Opelika City Council sees fit to honor Barbara H. Patton, who made the lives of our fellow Opelikians better and brought honor and respect to this community.”
Fuller and the council also recognized Brady Campbell for his earning the title of State Wrestling Champion for the third time and also recognized Jared Van Horn as a National Merit Finalist.
IN OTHER BUSINESS
- The council approved a request from Foundry UMC for a temporary street closure for its Easter Egg Hunt on April 13.
- The council approved a request for a downtown street closure for the Relay for Life Event on May 2.
- The council approved a request for a downtown street closure for a Vintage Market to be held May 17.
- The council approved a request for a downtown street closure for Burger Wars which will be May 31.
- The council approved a request for a downtown street closure for an event to be held by Heritage House Event on May 31.
- The council approved a request for a downtown street closure for the Touch-A-Truck Event to be held on May 31.
- The council approved a request for a downtown street closure for a Bourbon Festival to be on Sept. 20.
- The council approved the purchase of a 2025 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4×4 pickup from Stivers Ford Lincoln for $51,520.
- The council approved the purchase of a 2025 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4×4 pickup from Stivers Ford Lincoln in the amount of $56,523 for the Building Maintenance Department.
- The council approved the purchase of a 2025 Ford F250 SuperCrew 4×4 pickup from Stivers Ford Lincoln for $60,578.
- The council approved the purchase of two 2025 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4×4 pickups from Stivers Ford Lincoln for $89,610.
- The council approved the purchase of 11 APX N70 two-way radios for the Opelika Police Department in an amount just under $84,000.
- The council voted table a resolution on certain tax abatements and exemptions for Pharmavite LLC. Pharmavite has announced plans to invest approximately a little more than $13.6 million in the construction of a dietary supplement manufacturing facility which consists of the construction of building additions and the purchase of new manufacturing machinery at its existing facility located within the corporate limits of Opelika.
- The council approved a resolution to amend the Organizational Chart of the Opelika Engineering Department.
- The council approved a resolution pertaining to the compensation and job description for the city attorney.
- The council approved a resolution that will create a temporary position of deputy city attorney.
- The council approved a resolution for a grant application to ADEM for the Pepperell Branch Project.
- The council approved a resolution to designate Mayor Gary Fuller as the city’s voting delegate at the 2025 ALM Annual Convention.
- The council introduced an ordinance to amend Chapter 2 Division 3 of the City Code of Ordinances: Relating to the Position of City Attorney for its first reading and also introduced an ordinance that will establish the use of electronic vote counting devices for the municipal election of officers for its first reading.
- The council approved the reappointment of Auzzie Comer, David Hudmon and Michael Carter to the Property Maintenance Board of Appeals for a new terms that will expire March 16, 2028.