By Michelle Key
Publisher
Opelika’s Mayor Gary Fuller and the city council approved a resolution to enter into an All Hazard-All Emergency Mutual Aid Assistance Memorandum with Fort Benning and other certain political subdivisions located in Alabama and Georgia in order to provide for the sharing of resources, personnel and equipment in the event of a local disaster or other emergency.
According to the resolution, the purpose of this memorandum is to create a systematic approach to expedite local and regional mutual aid assistance, share information, and rapidly share and sustain emergency aid and resources between the U.S. Army Fort Benning, local governmental bodies and regional emergency responders when organic resources and capabilities are exceeded by emergent situations, or when non-exigent circumstances have developed requiring pre-coordinated assistance.
In other business, the council voted to:
• approved a request by James Bros. Bikes for a retail beer on-and-off premise license
• approved expense reports from various departments
• approved a resolution to designate city personal property as surplus and authorize the disposal of said property
• held public hearings on weed abatement assessments for the following properties and then later voted to approve the assessments as noted:
- 100 N. 17th Place
- 204 S. 1st Place
- 308 Brannon Ave.
- 407 Hunter St.
- 504 S. 4th St.
- 509 1st Ave.
- 901 Lake Condy Road
- 1109 Magnolia St.
- 1640 Parker Way
- 1733 1st Ave.
• approved a bid from temporary personnel services to Burt Employment to provide temporary personnel for various departments of the City on an as needed basis
• approved a bid to Custodial Services for the Sportsplex to Top Notch Cleaning, Inc., in the amount of $7,535 a month – this bid was granted as a local preference since the bid was within 5 % of the lowest bid received
• approved a request by Verizon Wireless for a special use permit extension at 269 Lee Road 711
• approved a resolution to enter into an agreement for architect services Lathan Associates Architects, P.C. (“Lathan”), to provide architectural, consulting and related services in connection with the library project – the city intends to renovate and expand the Lewis Cooper Jr. Memorial Library or, alternatively, to design and build a new library
• approved a resolution for a professional services contract with Seely & Long Associates. Inc.
• approved a three-year contract with Casey Chambley, D/B/A Chambley’s Display Fireworks to provide the annual 4th of July fireworks display
• approved a special appropriation to the EAMC Foundation in the amount of $10,000 to help defray the cost of the annual “Christmas Ball” and to benefit the activities and programs of EAMC
• approved a special appropriation in the amount of $2,000 from the Ward 2 current year discretionary funds to assist with the cost of the entertainment and other activities to the parks and recreation department for Bandy Day on June 29
• approved a resolution for an access and use agreement between Point Broadband and the city of Opelika for a period no longer than six months
• approved an agreement for engineering services with CDG Engineering & Associations to mill, overlay and improve Pepperell Parkway from Lowndes Street to approximately 500-feet west of Westend Court as part of an Opelika/Auburn Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) project with partial funding by the Federal Highway Administration
• approved a special appropriation to Zimmer Biomet LPGA Championship to be paid to the Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau in the amount of $25,000
• heard the first reading pertaining to the changing of the Nov. 19, 2019 city council meeting date to Nov. 18 – the City Council will be leaving for the National League of Cities conference on Nov. 19
• approved the appointment of Jay Stern to Celebrate Alabama Cooperative District for a term that expires Aug. 27, 2020
• approved the reappointment of Jarad Scher to the Celebrate Alabama. Improvement District for a term that expires Aug. 5, 2025
• approved the reappointment of Cecil Morgan to the Celebrate Alabama. Improvement District for a term that expires Aug. 5, 2025
• approved the appointment of Bill Parker Jr. to the Indian Pines Recreation Authority for a term that expires June 7, 2023
• . approved the appointment of Aesha Gentry to the Lee-Russell Council of Government-MPO-Citizen Advisory Committee for a term that expires Nov. 5, 2020
• approved the appointment of Michael Carter to the Property Maintance Board of Appeals for a term that expires March 16, 2022.
Citizens are welcome at both the council work session meetings and the council meetings.
Citizens are invited to voice their opinions at each council meeting. The only rule is that one must give their name and address, and are limited to five minutes or less.
The next council meeting will be held on June 18. Work session start times vary from 6 – 6:45 p.m. and the council meetings start at 7 p.m.
Meetings are held in the council chamber at city hall located at 204 S. 7th St. in downtown Opelika.
Copies of the agendas can be found on the city’s website www.opelika-al.gov/406/City-Council.