Agenda Meeting Minutes 1/24/2023

Feb 21, 2023

  MINUTES OF A REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

OF THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE

CITY OF TALLASSEE, ALABAMA

JANUARY 24, 2023

 

 

 

 

The Mayor and the City Council of the City of Tallassee, Alabama convened in regular session on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. at the Tallassee Municipal Complex. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Hill and the following were recorded as present:

 

Mayor                                 Sarah Hill

Council Members             Jeremy Taunton

Linda McNeal Mosher

Damian Carr

Bill Hall

Terrel Brown

Bill Godwin-absent

Fred Randall Hughey

 

John Smith was present as city attorney and Whitney Pitchford as secretary for the meeting.

 

Approval of minutes: On motion of Councilmember Hughey and a second by Councilmember Brown, all councilmembers present voted to approve the minutes of the January 10, 2023 work session. On motion of Councilmember Brown and a second by Councilmember Hughey, all councilmembers present voted to approve the minutes of the January 10, 2023 regular city council meeting.

Item 1. The Time Clock Plus Policy was discussed. This policy requires that all departments have their time approved by 9AM Monday morning the week of payroll. Any time not approved will be paid on the next payroll. Councilmember Carr made a motion to accept the Time Clock Plus policy, seconded by Councilmember Taunton. Upon a vote, the motion passed unanimously.

Item 2. Banking holiday time was discussed. Currently we have around $35,000 in banked Holiday time that we will have to pay out at some point. The City of Homewood recently paid out $1,000,000 in banked time and no longer allows Holiday time to be banked. Whitney reached out to different cities in Alabama and most cities require employees to be paid out the holiday time during the pay period that it was earned. Councilmember Carr made a motion to accept the Holiday Policy where Holiday time must be used or paid out during the pay period in which it was earned, seconded by Councilmember Brown. Upon a vote, the motion passed unanimously.

Item 3. The WWTP bid was discussed. Councilmember Taunton made a motion to accept the recommendation to award bid of $4,554,500 from Schmitt Environmental Contractors contingent upon agency approval and value engineering, seconded by Councilmember Brown. Upon a vote, the motion passed unanimously.

Item 4. Hotel Talisi was discussed. CDG engineer Jeff Harrison gave his recommendation that this is an emergency and advised the Council to allow the Mayor to move forward and seek bids. Councilmember Taunton made a motion resolving that, based upon the recommendation of the city engineer that the former Hotel Talisi building poses an imminent danger to the health and safety of citizens of and property in Tallassee, the fact that a wall and roof of the structure has recently collapsed, the observation of council members that parts are falling off the building, the former Hotel Talisi building be declared an imminent danger to the City of Tallassee such that a public emergency concerning the structure  should be declared. Councilmember Brown seconded the motion. All council members voted in favor of this resolution.

Councilmember Taunton made a motion to suspend the rules, seconded by Councilmember Carr. Upon a roll call vote, the motion was approved unanimously. Councilmember Taunton made a motion to move $25,000 from 514-5070 to 501-5035 in order to have enough money to tear Hotel Talisi down, seconded by Councilmember Carr. Upon a vote, the motion passed unanimously.

Item 5. Jeff Harrison gave a project update.

Item 6. Tabled.

Item 7. Resolution concerning new bank account for the PD DEA account was discussed. Councilmember Taunton made a motion to approve this, seconded by Councilmember Brown. Upon a vote, the motion passed. Resolution 2023-234 was adopted.

Mayor’s Reports:

  1. Graveyard Creek Bridge work starts January 25th and should take 2 days to complete.
  2. ALDOT meeting Friday about the Fitzpatrick Bridge.
  3. Thanks to Alabama Power for their hard work.
  4. Storm Shelters are open.
  5. Chief Jones made an annual Fire Department report for anyone to look at.
  6. Effective January 31, 2023 Andy Gantt will be retiring.
  7. Riverhills lighting- we are working on a solution.

 

Council Reports

Ward 1: Thanks to Rodney Griffith for his help when we had water issues.

Ward 2. Councilmember Mosher made a motion to appoint Blake Moon to the TRA, seconded by Councilmember Carr. Upon a vote, the motion passed unanimously. Councilmember Mosher made a motion to appoint Ethan Colley to the TRA, seconded by Councilmember Taunton. Upon a vote, the motion passed unanimously.

Ward 3. Thanks to Councilmember Mosher for helping get TRA members. MLK March went great! Thanks to the Mayor and Chief for attending. It was noticed and appreciated.

There being no further business before the council, and upon motion of Councilmember Taunton and a second by Councilmember Carr, all councilmembers present voted to adjourn the meeting at 6:23 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________________

SARAH HILL, Mayor

ATTEST:

 

 

_______________________________

WHITNEY PITCHFORD, City Clerk