City Council

July 23, 2018 STATE OF ALABAMA, LIMESTONE COUNTY, CITY OF ATHENS. The City Council of the City of Athens, Alabama met in regular session at the Athens Municipal Building, 200 Hobbs Street West in the said City on July 23, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting was called to order by Councilman Chris Seibert, President of the Council. Upon roll call, the following were found to be present: Councilmembers Wayne Harper, Harold Wales, Chris Seibert, Joseph Cannon and Frank Travis. Chris Seibert led the Pledge of Allegiance. Annette Barnes, City Clerk, was present and recorded the minutes of the meeting. Frank Travis offered the invocation. The Chairperson stated that a quorum was present and that the meeting was open for transaction of business. The Chairperson stated that the Minutes of the July 9, 2018 City Council Meeting had been submitted for approval. Councilman Harper moved that the reading of the Minutes be suspended and that the Minutes be approved as recorded. The motion was seconded by Councilman Cannon and was unanimously carried. The Chairperson stated that the Minutes of the July 9, 2018 City Council Work Session Meeting had been submitted for approval. Councilman Harper moved that the reading of the Minutes be suspended and that the Minutes be approved as recorded. The motion was seconded by Councilman Cannon and was unanimously carried. Scott Marshall, 23349 Piney Creek Drive, Athens, addressed the Council concerning the need for a right hand turn only lane at the eastern most entrance to Wal-Mart due to danger in vehicles attempting to make left hand turns onto Highway 72. He also addressed the issue of restoring the old brick around the courthouse square. He requested the Council consider having the contractor lower the elevation of the existing curb to the elevation of the brick while the current TAP grant work is being done. David Malone, 1300 Somerest Drive, Athens, addressed the Council concerning the handling of the appearance of various properties within the city, in particular, those with overgrown weeds. He stated that several of these properties located near some of his properties on Plato Jones, Box Alley and Brownsferry and Lucas Streets have been confiscated by the District Attorney but are not being properly maintained, some of which haven’t had the weeds cut all summer. Janet Hunt, Beaty Historic District, Athens, addressed the Council with her concerns about the conditions of some of the historic homes in her neighborhood. She stated that these homes are not being properly maintained and reflect negatively on the historic district. Mae Davis, 1201 Plainview Circle, Athens, requested the Council consider repaving some of the streets in her neighborhood such as Plainview and Highland Streets. Councilman Travis introduced the following resolution: RESOLUTION BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, AL to approve the purchase and installation of a Meraki MX100 Firewall with a three year advanced license and support at a cost not to exceed $8,978. The purchase will be made from Teklinks through the City’s membership in the North Alabama Cooperative Purchasing Association and will be funded through a 50% split between Athens Utilities and the existing General Fund Information Technology Capital Account. The motion was seconded by Councilman Cannon and was unanimously carried. Councilman Cannon introduced the following resolution:  RESOLUTION NUMBER 2018-1584 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRYOR FIELD REGIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY TO APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT GRANTS FOR AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS SUBJECT TO CERTAIN CONDITIONS WHEREAS, the City of Athens, along with other public entities, is a sponsor/owner of the Pryor Field Regional Airport Authority; WHEREAS, the Pryor Field Regional Airport Authority has requested the ability to apply for and accept grants for airport improvement projects on behalf of the several sponsors of the authority, including the City of Athens; WHEREAS, the City Council is willing to allow the Pryor Field Regional Airport Authority to do so, subject to certain limitations; WHEREAS, among other things, the City Council wishes to ensure that the Authority is not empowered to apply for and accept grants for airport improvement projects that commit the City to any financial obligation beyond that of any funds already received by the Pryor Field Regional Airport Authority as a part of the City’s annual appropriation to said authority; and WHEREAS, this Resolution is a renewal of identical City Council Resolutions No. 2015-1417 and No. 2009-1092. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA on July 23, 2018 at 5:30 p.m., as follows: 1. The Pryor Field Regional Airport Authority (the “Authority”) is authorized to apply for and accept grants for airport improvement projects from the Federal Aviation Administration and Alabama Department of Transportation, on behalf of the City of Athens, upon certain conditions, as follows: (i) All other owners/sponsors of the Authority are participating in the applicable grant; (ii) The financial obligation of the City of Athens in any given year with respect to any grants involving the Authority could not and will not in any case exceed any amount of any appropriations that have been received from the City of Athens in that year; and (iii) Unless the amount of any local match (required as a part of the terms of the applicable grant) has already been expended by the Authority and recognized by the granting authority, the Authority will retain, from the funds that have at that time already been received from the City of Athens as a part of any annual appropriation by the City to the Authority, such an amount of funds that is equivalent to the amount of local contribution required by the City of Athens under the terms of the applicable grant, and, if required by the grant, expend those funds as that part of the local match that is required by the City of Athens. 2. This Resolution shall not be interpreted to create any obligation by the City to appropriate funds to the Authority, or any funds of a particular amount. This Resolution shall not be interpreted to interfere in any way with the City Council’s discretion in deciding whether to grant appropriations to the Authority. ADOPTED and APPROVED this, the 23rd day of July, 2018. /s/ Chris Seibert PRESIDENT, CITY COUNCIL, CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA CERTIFICATION OF CITY CLERK STATE OF ALABAMA ) LIMESTONE COUNTY ) I, Annette Barnes, City Clerk of the City of Athens, Alabama, do hereby certify that the above and foregoing is a true and correct copy of a Resolution duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Athens, Alabama, on the 23rd day of July, 2018. Witness my hand and seal of office this 23rd day of July, 2018. /s/ Annette Barnes City Clerk The motion was seconded by Councilman Wales and was unanimously carried. Councilman Wales introduced the following resolution: RESOLUTION BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, to authorize the Mayor to enter into a joint agreement with Limestone County to pave Mooresville Road at the turn lanes of Rolling Vista Drive and Grove Hill Lane in a budgeted amounted of $22,100 for the city’s portion. This project shall be funded by the capital infrastructure fund. The motion was seconded by Councilman Travis and was unanimously carried. Councilman Harper introduced the following resolution: RESOLUTION BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, to set a public hearing for the regular meeting of August 27th, 2018 to review the request of David Aycock for the Lindsay Lane South Property Development Plan and to rezone +/- 24 acres of property on the west side of Lindsay Lane South immediately north of Whitfield Colony Subdivision from the B-2, General Business District to the R-2 Multiple Family District. The motion was seconded by Councilman Cannon and was unanimously carried. Councilman Harper introduced the following resolution:  RESOLUTION BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, to approve travel expenses for the following Electric Department personnel. Ronnie Marks $324.00 Electric Cities Annual Conference – Destin, FL Frank Travis $440.75 Electric Cities Annual Conference – Destin, FL Annette Threet $430.97 Electric Cities Annual Conference – Destin, FL The motion was seconded by Councilman Wales and was unanimously carried. Councilman Wales introduced the following resolution: RESOLUTION BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, to approve the purchase of a 2002 Leeboy Asphalt Paving Machine from Tractor and Equipment Company, at a total cost not to exceed $35,000, to be funded from the existing Street Department capital account. The motion was seconded by Councilman Travis and was unanimously carried. Councilman Cannon introduced the following resolution: RESOLUTION WHEREAS, the City Council appropriates various funds, through contracts, to non-governmental entities who serve various public purposes benefiting the citizens of Athens; WHEREAS, the Boys & Girls Club of North Alabama has an unexpected and emergency need for funding to continue its summer extended hours program; WHEREAS, The City of Athens is authorized to furnish recreational social and cultural facilities pursuant to §11- 47-19 and §11-80-5 of the Code of Alabama; WHEREAS, the Athens City Council finds that the Boys & Girls Club’s programs benefiting youth serves a valuable public purpose; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, that the City shall issue an immediate one-time appropriation to the Boys & Girls Club of North Alabama in the amount of $7,225.00. The appropriation shall be supported by a contract between the City and the Club providing the funds in exchange for the continuance of the Club’s summer extended hour programs throughout the remainder of July and through the beginning of the Fall 2018 public school term. This appropriation shall be funded by a general fund budget amendment to line item 100.525.90171. Councilmember Travis moved that unanimous consent be given for immediate consideration of and action on said resolution, which motion was seconded by Councilmember Wales, and upon the said motion being put to vote the following vote was recorded: YEAS: Councilmembers Seibert, Wales, Travis, Cannon and Harper; NAYS: None. The President thereupon declared that the motion for unanimous consent for immediate consideration of and action on the said resolution had been unanimously carried. Councilmember Cannon thereupon moved that the resolution be finally adopted, which motion was seconded by Councilmember Harper and upon the said motion being put to vote the following vote was recorded: YEAS: Councilmembers Seibert, Wales, Travis, Cannon and Harper; NAYS: None. The President thereupon announced that the motion for the adoption of the said resolution had been unanimously carried. * * * There being no further business to come before the meeting, Council President Seibert asked if there were any objections to adjourning the meeting. There being none, the meeting was duly and properly adjourned. /s/ Chris Seibert PRESIDENT, CITY COUNCIL ATTEST: /s/ Annette Barnes CITY CLERK