By Natalie Anderson
For the Opelika Observer
The Opelika City Council held last Tuesday’s meeting in person, and it was live-streamed via YouTube on the Opelika City Gov. channel.
Mayor Gary Fuller issued a proclamation declaring June 2020 as National Gun Violence Awareness Month. “As mayor of the city of Opelika and on behalf of the city council, I hereby declare June 2020 as National Gun Violence Awareness Month,” Fuller said. “[I want to] encourage all citizens to support our community’s effort to prevent the tragic effects of gun violence and to honor and value human lives.”
During the meeting, the council held public hearings for various zoning ordinances and weed abatements around the city of Opelika. Citizens of Opelika also participated in the citizen communications portion of the meeting with business ranging from Opelika Giving Day, gun violence and other issues pressing the community and nation.
In other business, the board also:
approved a request for filming of a HBO documentary
approved a request for downtown Juneteenth march on June 19
approved a request from the Opelika Rotary Club for Burger Wars to be held Aug. 22
approved a request for an alcohol license by Jam Food Co. Inc., dba Full Moon BBQ
approved a request for an alcohol license by PK 9 management LLC, dba Exxon 101
held public hearings for the following zoning/rezoning: Towne Lake PUD master plan, Cannon Gate master plan, zoning for 6.6 acres on Dale Avenue, zoning for 2.87 acres on 1402 Fitzpatrick Avenue and zoning for 0.7 acres on 1813 Old Columbus Road
held public hearings for the following weed abatement assessments: 12 E Johnson Ave., 610 M L King Blvd., 1108 Chandler Ave., 514 Old Columbus Road, 1109 Magnolia St. and 105 Vaughan Ave.
awarded a bid for a contract for uniform cleaning (FD)
awarded a contract for ductile iron utility poles (OPS)
awarded a contract for pole rack mounted switched and fixed capacitor banks (OPS)
approved a refund of occupational license fees to Rondo, Inc.
approved a refund of building permit fees to East Construction, LLC
approved amendments to the CDBG program year 2019 action plan
voted to reprogram unused funds for PY2019 public facility/sidewalk activity to new CDBG-CV microenterprise assistance activity in the amount of $29,000 to prepare, prevent and respond to COVID-19
approved resolutions for all previously stated weed abatement assessments
introduced ordinances and held the first reading of said ordinances for the following: Towne Lake PUD master plan for Town Lake Parkway, Cannon Gate PUD master plan, rezoning of Dale Avenue, rezoning of 1402 Fitzpatrick Avenue and zoning of 1813 Old Columbus Road
reappointed Michael Buckalew to the downtown redevelopment authority with the new term ending Aug. 7, 2022
reappointed Harvey Lloyd to the downtown redevelopment authority with the new term ending Aug. 7, 2024
reappointed Rush Denson to the historic preservation commission with the new term ending Aug. 19, 2023 and reappointed Leigh Whatley to the historic preservation commission with the new term ending Aug. 19, 2023.
The character trait during the month of June is “cooperation,” and the next city council meeting will be held July 7 at the Municipal Court located at 300 Martin Luther King Blvd.