BY MICHELLE KEY

MICHELLE@OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

OPELIKA — 

The Opelika Pickleball Club presented the city of Opelika with a check for $60,000 during Tuesday night’s Opelika City Council meeting as a way of giving back to the city, acknowledging its partnership with the city and showing its thanks for its investment in pickleball. 

MAYOR’S PRESENTATIONS

Mayor Gary Fuller and the city council presented a proclamation of appreciation to First United Methodist Church members for their work in aiding and assisting those in need of a safe and warm place to stay during the recent severe cold weather.

Fuller also issued a proclamation declaring January 2023 as Cervical Cancer Month.

Fuller presented Attaboy Awards to Terry Coxwell and Nathan Mallory of Opelika Power Services for the extra work they put in building a fiber network capable of handling the audio Wi-Fi needs for the Snopelika event in December. 

Fuller also notified the council of the appointment of Jay Walters to the Opelika Planning Commission for a new term ending Feb. 15, 2029. 

PUBLIC HEARINGS

Two public hearings were held during Tuesday night’s meeting. The first was pertaining to a potential ordinance to amend the Zoning Ordinance and Map to rezone 67.6 acres of land located in the 2700 block of Society Hill Road from C-2 and R-1 to C-2.

The second public hearing was on the proposed ordinance to amend the Zoning Ordinance and Map to rezone 16.47 acres located at 2701 Society Hill Road from C-2 to C-3.

Following the public hearings, these proposed ordinances were introduced for first reading. 

IN OTHER BUSINESS

• The council approved a request from RaceTrac Alabama Inc. doing business as RaceTrac No. 2628 for a retail beer off-premise and retail wine off-premise license.

• The council approved expense reports from various departments.

 • The council approved a resolution to designate city personal property as surplus and to authorize its disposal.

• The council approved the Uniform Purchase and Rental contract renewal utilizing the Omnia Contract No. R-BB-19002.

• The council approved the purchase of Cisco Umbrella Software utilizing the National IPA Contract No. 2018011-01 for the IT Department in the amount of nearly $15,500.

The council approved the purchase of Desktop/Endpoint, Server Security and Firewall Protection utilizing the National IPA Contract No. 2018011-01 for the IT Department in the amount of nearly $31,000. 

• The council approved a request for a refund of building permit fees of a little over $4,000 paid in error by Hooper Homes, LLC. 

• The council approved a request for a refund of occupational taxes totaling $1,728 paid in error by TR Group.

• The council approved a special appropriation of $3,000 to 3D Youth Development Academy Inc.

• The council approved a special appropriation of $2,000 to J. W. Darden Foundation in support of the annual Black Tie Gala.

• The council introduced an ordinance to authorize the conveyance of real property to the Opelika Utilities Board for the first reading, however, the council voted to suspend the rules and voted to approved this ordiance during Tuesday’s meeting. 

According to the ordinance — the property in question is described as real property that is no longer needed for public or municipal purposes, to-wit: Lots 2 and 3 in the Plat of the Opelika Utilities Property according to and as shown by a map or plat of said subdivision of record in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Lee County, Alabama, in Plat Book 47 at Page 112. (b). The property described above has been utilized and maintained by The Utilities Board of the City of Opelika, Alabama (the “Utilities Board”) for more than 60 years.