City Council

August 25, 2025 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, Athens, Alabama, on August 25, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. The meeting was called to order by Councilman James E. Lucas, President of the City Council. Upon roll call, the following were found to be present: Councilmembers Chris Seibert, Harold Wales, James E. Lucas, Dana Henry and Wayne Harper. Annette Barnes- Threet, City Clerk, was present and recorded the minutes of the meeting. Council President James Lucas offered the invocation. Mayor Marks led the Pledge of Allegiance. 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 August 11, 2025 City Council Meeting and Work Session Meeting had been submitted for approval. Councilman Seibert moved that the reading of the Minutes be suspended and that the Minutes be approved as recorded. The motion was seconded by Councilman Wales and was unanimously carried. Mayor Marks noted that the city election is on August 26th, 2025 and encouraged everyone to go vote. The Mayor then introduced Tere Richardson, Athens Main Street Director. Mrs. Richardson recognized the City of Athens Public Works Department as this year’s Main Street Heroes. She commended them on their excellent work keeping the downtown area clean and spotless. Mayor Marks thanked Tere Richardson for her energy and commitment to the city of Athens. Councilman Seibert also thanked Mrs. Richardson for recognizing the Public Works Department for their hard work and reminded everyone to speak their minds and vote. Councilman Wales thanked everyone that has put themselves out there for the election and stated that they will do a great job. Councilman Harper echoed Mayor Marks’ remarks and thanked everyone for keeping the city clean. Council President Lucas read a notice regarding a meeting for canvassing the 2025 election votes, which stated that the meeting will be held on September 2nd, 2025 at 12pm in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Council President Lucas opened the floor for public remarks regarding agenda items. No one came forward and Council President Lucas proceeded with the meeting. Councilman Seibert introduced the following resolutions: RESOLUTION BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, to approve the following travel/education expenses for the Gas Services Department: Neil White Gas Measurement Course Pittsburg, PA August 4th-7th $ 350.47 John Bush Gas Measurement Course Pittsburg, PA August 4th-7th $ 199.86  RESOLUTION BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, to approve the following travel/education expenses for the Fire Department: Bobby Millsaps Swift Water Training Florence, Alabama August 6-8, 2025 $ 50.11 Jacob Young Surface Water & Swift Water Training Florence, Alabama August 4-8, 2025 $ 60.55 Chief James Hand Fire Chiefs Conference Orange Beach, Alabama August 2-8, 2025 $ 45.10 Jesse Knox Fire Chiefs Conference Orange Beach, Alabama August 2-8, 2025 $ 13.00 April Davis Mileage April 1 – June 30, 2025 $ 131.60 RESOLUTION BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, to approve the following travel/education expenses for the IT Department: Seth Siniard IT Conference Orange Beach, Alabama July 13-17, 2025 $ 159.04 RESOLUTION BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, that the travel expenses in the following amount be approved for Electric Department personnel: Matt Mason $159.16 Knoxville, TN – Line Design & Staking : Level 3 Bobby Clark $163.14 Knoxville, TN – Line Design & Staking : Level 3 RESOLUTION BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, to approve the payment of budgeted travel/education expenses for specified Water Services employees in the total amount of $3,519.50. Brian Daniel AWPCA Annual Conference $2,036.02 Orange Beach, AL August 11, 2025 – August 14, 2025 Zachary Pylant AWPCA Annual Conference $1,483.48 Orange Beach, AL August 10, 2025 – August 13, 2025  RESOLUTION BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, at its regular meeting on August 25th, 2025, at 4:30 P.M., to approve a purchase from Stivers Ford Lincoln, Montgomery, Alabama, through the State of Alabama Division of Purchasing Vehicle Contract# 230000003416-23, for a 2026 Ford F350 4x4 Crew Cab Chassis with Reading Flatbed for a total purchase cost of $66,597.00 to be funded through the Electric Department’s FY26 Capital Expense Budget. RESOLUTION BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, at its regular meeting on August 25th, 2025, at 4:30 P.M., to approve a purchase from Stivers Ford Lincoln, Montgomery, Alabama, through the State of Alabama Division of Purchasing Vehicle Contract# 230000003416-47, for a 2026 Ford F550 4x4 Crew Cab Chassis with Reading Flatbed for a total purchase of $71,053.00 to be funded through the Electric Department’s FY26 Capital Expense Budget. RESOLUTION BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, at its regular meeting on August 25th, 2025 to approve a purchase from Global Rental Company, Inc., Birmingham, Alabama, for one Altec DC47TR Digger Derrick with 2026 Freightliner M2-106 Cab and Chassis through Sourcewell Contract# 040924-ALT for a total price of $299,990.00 to be funded through the Electric Department’s FY26 Capital Expense Budget. RESOLUTION BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, to approve the purchase of five (5) radar units for patrol cars from Stalker Radar, at a cost not to exceed $15,00, and shall be funded from the Police Department’s existing capital account. RESOLUTION BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, to set a Public Hearing for the regular meeting on September 22, 2025 to consider the request of JHH Properties, LLC to annex +/- 3.68 acres of property located directly north of Huntsville Brownsferry Road and directly west of U.S. Highway 31 South, and zone the property B-2 (General Business District) within the corporate limits of the City of Athens. (Parcel #: 44-10-08-33-0-000-018.000) RESOLUTION BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, to approve the following applicant for a “Retail Beer and Wine Off Premises Only” alcohol license: Business Name: N Vir Athens, Inc. DBA: Ankr Food Mart Address: 1517 N. Jefferson Street Athens, AL 35611 The motion was seconded by Councilman Harper and was unanimously carried. Councilman Wales introduced the following resolution:  RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 – 2099 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, to authorize the City Engineer to enter into an agreement with Morell Engineering for the construction, engineering and inspection services for TAPUC-TA24(908)). The CE&I budget is $187,353.05 and shall be funded from the 2024 GO warrants. ADOPTED and APPROVED this, the 25th day of August, 2025. /s/ James E. Lucas PRESIDENT, CITY COUNCIL, CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA /s/ William R. Marks MAYOR, CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA ATTEST: /s/ Annette Barnes CITY CLERK, CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA Councilmember Harper moved that unanimous consent be given for immediate consideration of and action on said resolution, which motion was seconded by Councilmember Seibert, and upon the said motion being put to vote the following vote was recorded: YEAS: Councilmembers Seibert, Wales, Lucas, Henry 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 Henry seconded the motion to adopt the resolution. Upon the said motion being put to vote, the following vote was recorded: YEAS: Councilmembers Seibert, Wales, Lucas, Henry and Harper; NAYS: None. The President thereupon announced that the motion for the adoption of the said resolution had been unanimously carried. Councilwoman Henry introduced the following resolution: RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 – 2100 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, to authorize the Mayor to enter into an agreement with Miller and Miller Construction, Inc. to construct, TAPUC-TA24(908), a sidewalk along the Western side of SR-3 (US-31) from SR-99 (Elm Street) to Juniper Circle with a pedestrian bridge over Swan Creek (Includes Traffic Signal Improvements and the Addition of a Turn Lane on US-31 at Elm Street/Sportsplex Loop) in the amount of $1,889,144.00. This project is funded in part up to $800,000 by federal funds, and the remaining portion funded by the 2024 GO warrants. ADOPTED and APPROVED this, the 25th day of August, 2025. /s/ James E. Lucas PRESIDENT, CITY COUNCIL, CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA /s/ William R. Marks MAYOR, CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA ATTEST: /s/ Annette Barnes CITY CLERK, CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA Councilmember Harper moved that unanimous consent be given for immediate consideration of and action on said resolution, which motion was seconded by Councilmember Seibert, and upon the said motion being put to vote the following vote was recorded: YEAS: Councilmembers Seibert, Wales, Lucas, Henry 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 Wales seconded the motion to adopt the resolution. Upon the said motion being put to vote, the following vote was recorded: YEAS: Councilmembers Seibert, Wales, Lucas, Henry and Harper; NAYS: None. The President thereupon announced that the motion for the adoption of the said resolution had been unanimously carried. Councilman Wales introduced the following resolution: RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 – 2101 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA, to authorize the Mayor to enter into an agreement with Grayson Carter & Son, Inc. for the construction of Day Lane. A city street from Market St, just East of the intersection of Market St & Lucas Ferry, to Elm St (SR-99) in the amount of $1,641,076.96 funded by the 2024 GO warrants. ADOPTED and APPROVED this, the 25th day of August, 2025. /s/ James E. Lucas PRESIDENT, CITY COUNCIL, CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA /s/ William R. Marks MAYOR, CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA ATTEST: /s/ Annette Barnes CITY CLERK, CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA Councilmember Harper moved that unanimous consent be given for immediate consideration of and action on said resolution, which motion was seconded by Councilmember Henry, and upon the said motion being put to vote the following vote was recorded: YEAS: Councilmembers Seibert, Wales, Lucas, Henry 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 Seibert seconded the motion to adopt the resolution. Upon the said motion being put to vote, the following vote was recorded: YEAS: Councilmembers Seibert, Wales, Lucas, Henry and Harper; NAYS: None. The President thereupon announced that the motion for the adoption of the said resolution had been unanimously carried. Councilman Harper introduced the following resolution: RESOLUTION NUMBER 2025 - 2102 Resolution Adopting Transportation Plan Pursuant to the Rebuild Alabama Act WHEREAS, the Alabama legislature in Act. No. 2019-2 adopted the Rebuild Alabama Act; WHEREAS, the Rebuild Alabama Act provides for an allocation among the municipalities of the state on the basis of the ratio of population of each municipality to the total population of all municipalities of the state a portion of the additional taxes levied under the Act to be used for transportation infrastructure, improvement, preservation and maintenance;  WHEREAS, the Act provides that the municipal governing body of the City of Athens, Alabama, shall adopt an annual Transportation Plan no later than August 31 which shall provide a detailed list of projects for which expenditures are intended to be made in the next fiscal year and shall be based upon an estimate of the revenues anticipated from the fund in which the additional revenue is deposited during the next fiscal year; and WHEREAS, the Act further provides that any such funds shall be used only for the maintenance, improvement, replacement, and construction of roads and bridges maintained by the City of Athens and such other uses as are defined in the Act. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Athens, Alabama as follows: 1. The City Council of the City of Athens, Alabama hereby passes this Resolution as its Transportation Plan submitted in compliance with the Rebuild Act, Act No. 2019-2. 2. Pursuant to the Act, the City Council of the City of Athens, Alabama estimates that its anticipated allocation from the Rebuild Alabama Act fund for the 2025-2026 fiscal year will be approximately $311,923.20. 3. Pursuant to the Act, the City anticipates expending funds received pursuant to the Act, in part or in whole, to fund any of the following listed projects: • Fifth Ave Apartments, Athens Housing Authority • Sanderfer Road Apartments, Athens Housing Authority • Hobbs St, from East ST to US-31 4. The City Clerk is hereby authorized and instructed to post a copy of this Resolution as its Transportation Plan in a conspicuous place at the City Municipal Hall, and also on the website of the City of Athens, Alabama. 5. The City Clerk has established a separate fund maintained by the City for receipt and deposit of funds received pursuant to the Act, the proceeds of which shall be expended solely for the maintenance, improvement, replacement and construction of roads and bridges maintained by the City and such other uses as are authorized by the Act. ADOPTED and APPROVED this, the 25th day of August, 2025. /s/ James E. Lucas PRESIDENT, CITY COUNCIL, CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA /s/ William R. Marks MAYOR, CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA ATTEST: /s/ Annette Barnes CITY CLERK, CITY OF ATHENS, ALABAMA Councilmember Henry moved that unanimous consent be given for immediate consideration of and action on said resolution, which motion was seconded by Councilmember Seibert, and upon the said motion being put to vote the following vote was recorded: YEAS: Councilmembers Seibert, Wales, Lucas, Henry 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 Wales seconded the motion to adopt the resolution. Upon the said motion being put to vote, the following vote was recorded: YEAS: Councilmembers Seibert, Wales, Lucas, Henry and Harper; NAYS: None. The President thereupon announced that the motion for the adoption of the said resolution had been unanimously carried. Council President Lucas opened the floor for general public comment on matters pertinent to City business. Justin Sampieri, Owens Street, Athens, urged the City Council to keep the progress going on plans to construct a swimming pool, regardless of the results of the August 26th municipal election. Tim Colling, Regent Drive, Athens, thanked Councilman Harold Wales for his time on the City Council. * * * There being no further business to come before the meeting, Council President Lucas asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion was made by Councilman Wales and was seconded by Councilman Seibert. The meeting was duly and properly adjourned. /s/ James E. Lucas PRESIDENT, CITY COUNCIL /s/Annette Barnes-Threet CITY CLERK