By Michelle Key
Publisher
Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller made a plea for residents of Opelika to complete their 2020 Census during the Sept. 1 city council meeting.
“We’re asking that [each of you] ask 10 Opelika residents if they have been counted and explain to them the importance of it,” Fuller said. “Our goal is to reach 85%.”
Street Repair:
Several homeowners and residents who live between North 2nd Street and North 3rd Street spoke to the council during the meeting, requesting that the city help repair a gravel road that the city created years ago when the railroad bridge was created on 2nd Avenue, effectively eliminating the 2nd Avenue access to those residences.
“There is a lot of water runoff there,” Sid homeowner Darrell Oliver. “The runoff is so great. It comes down that hill, there is a storm drain, and when [the water] hits that storm drain, a lot of that gravel that is there clogs that up. When it does, the whole backyard is a lake.”
Oliver expressed his gratitude for work that the city has done in the past but expressed his concerns about the condition of the road and requested any help that the city is able to give.
Forest Miller, a tenant of one of the residences, expressed his concerns that emergency vehicles might not be able to access the homes on that street due to the poor condition.
“Recently, I had a house fire, my kitchen was on fire, and luckily I was able to get it out by myself but my concern at this point I don’t think EMS could get to my house,” Miller said. “If you can do anything, I would appreciate it.”
In other business, the council:
– approved a request for temporary street closure at N. 8th Street on Sept. 26
– approved a request from East Alabama Medical Center for a temporary street closure on Dec. 4
– approved an on-premise wine and beer alcohol license request by Hage LLC DBA Dough Pizzeria
– approved an off-premise retail wine and beer alcohol License request by Shirin 2020 Inc. DBA Neighborhood Market
– approved a Restaurant Retail Liquor and on-premise wine and beer alcohol license request by El Patron Mexican Grill LLC DBA EL Patron Mexican Grill
– approved a contract bid for the TAPAA-TA19 (916) 1st Avenue TAP Project
– approved a resolution to designate city personal property as surplus and authorized the disposal of the property
– approved the purchase of a 3-year contract for Microsoft software and maintenance
– approved the purchase of a new Schwarze A9 Monsoon Mechanical Sweeper for the public works department for over $288,000.
– approved a resolution to authorize annual excess loss insurance contract with Lloyds Insurance Company
– approved a special appropriation for Opelika Main Street for 2020 Christmas in a Railroad Town event with each council member giving $250 of their discretionary funds for a total of $1,250
– approved a resolution to provide Tier I Benefits to Tier II Plan members
– voted to approve an ordinance to amend Zoning Ordinance Section 2.2, 7.3 and to add Section 8.28, 8.28.1
– voted to approve an ordinance to amend Zoning and Ordinance Map to rezone 21.9 Acres located at 3001 Hi Pack Drive to a planned unit development
– voted to suspend the rules requiring two readings and subsequently voted to approve an ordinance to set the date of Oct. 6, 2020 for the Run-Off Municipal Election
– Purchase – Schwarze A9 Monsoon Mechanical Sweeper – PW.
– Authorize Annual Excess Loss Insurance Contract with Lloyds Insurance Company.
– Special Appropriation for Main Street, Christmas in a Railroad Town.
“In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Opelika will make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. If you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the ADA Coordinator 72 hours prior to the meeting at (334)705-2083.”