City Council

CITY OF TRUSSVILLE MINUTES OCTOBER 23, 2025 AGENDA WORKSHOP The City Council met in an agenda workshop on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at 5 pm to review the proposed agenda for its next regular session. Council President Ben Short presided over the meeting and Stacy Frazier served as recording secretary. Those members present were as follows: Council President Ben Short Councilor Jaime Anderson Councilor Lisa Bright Councilor Perry Cook Councilor Alan Taylor Others present in their official capacity: Mayor Buddy Choat Those absent: City Clerk Dan Weinrib The City Council determined the order of consideration. There were no topics to discuss, beyond the proposed agenda items. President Short adjourned the workshop at 5:08 pm. This was the last agenda workshop for Mayor Choat, Councilor Bright, Councilor Cook & Councilor Taylor in their official capacities. OCTOBER 28, 2025 REGULAR SESSION The City Council of the City of Trussville met in regular session on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at 6 pm at the City Hall Annex, with Council President Pro Tem Alan Taylor presiding and Dan Weinrib serving as recording secretary. President Taylor called the meeting to order. Councilor Anderson led the prayer; Councilor Cook led the pledge. Those members present were as follows: Councilor President Pro Tem Alan Taylor Councilor Jaime Anderson Councilor Perry Cook Others present in their official capacity: Mayor Buddy Choat City Attorney Rick Stotser City Clerk Dan Weinrib Those absent: Councilor Lisa Bright Councilor Ben Short They reviewed the minutes from the October 9 agenda workshop & October 14 regular session. Councilor Anderson moved & Councilor Cook seconded the motion to approve the minutes. UNANIMOUS President Taylor then introduced the consent agenda & regular agenda. Councilor Anderson moved & Councilor Cook seconded the motion to approve the two-item consent agenda. UNANIMOUS Councilor Anderson moved & Councilor Cook seconded the motion to approve the regular agenda. UNANIMOUS There were no public comments. Under the regular agenda, President Taylor summoned Veterans Committee member John Griscom, who came forward to accept the city’s check supporting his annual Wreaths Across America campaign. He & volunteers lay wreaths at gravesites of former military members buried in Trussville. President Taylor then recognized State Representative Danny Garrett. Garrett read aloud State House proclamations honoring Mayor Choat, Councilor Taylor, Councilor Cook & Councilor Bright. The one for Taylor was especially meaningful since the two have been close friends for decades & were groomsmen for one another. Councilor Anderson then introduced a proposed proclamation, declaring November as Epilepsy Awareness Month. She moved & Councilor Cook seconded the motion for approval. UNANIMOUS Proclamation No. 2025-21 There was a brief recess for a group photo with Trussville resident Sula Gillespie. When President Taylor resumed the meeting, Councilor Anderson introduced a proposed proclamation, declaring November 10-16 as Kindness Week citywide. She moved & Councilor Cook seconded the motion for approval. UNANIMOUS Proclamation No. 2025-22 Councilor Cook introduced a proposed ordinance. He moved & Councilor Anderson seconded the motion for unanimous consent to suspend the rules & consider an ordinance immediately. Upon roll call vote, UNANIMOUS Councilor Cook then made the motion, & Councilor Anderson seconded, to declare a certain city-owned property as surplus. Mayor Choat & Councilor Taylor gave a background explanation. Upon roll call vote, UNANIMOUS Ordinance No. 2025-030-ADM Councilor Cook then introduced a related proposed ordinance. He moved & Councilor Anderson seconded the motion for unanimous consent to suspend the rules & consider an ordinance immediately. Upon roll call vote, UNANIMOUS Councilor Cook then made the motion, & Councilor Anderson seconded, to authorize Mayor Choat to sign a purchase & sale agreement with IMP LLC, regarding the property located at 400 Main Street. Upon roll call vote, UNANIMOUS Ordinance No. 2025-031-ADM Councilor Anderson then introduced a proposed ordinance. She moved & Councilor Cook seconded the motion for unanimous consent to suspend the rules & consider an ordinance immediately. Upon roll call vote, UNANIMOUS She then moved, & Councilor Cook seconded the motion, to annex the undeveloped properties located at 611 & 617 Anniston Avenue. The Planning & Zoning Commission had recommended it unanimously, with stipulations. Upon roll call vote, UNANIMOUS Ordinance No. 2025-032-ANX President Taylor then introduced a proposed resolution to extend the city’s early retirement incentives offer, per Resolution No. 2025-36, for another 90 days to March 1, 2026. Councilor Cook moved & Councilor Anderson seconded the motion for approval. UNANIMOUS Resolution No. 2025-50 Councilor Anderson then introduced a proposed resolution to declare numerous vehicles & other machinery parked at the former Goldkist Chicken plant property as surplus. She moved & Councilor Cook seconded the motion for approval. UNANIMOUS Resolution No. 2025-51 President Taylor then introduced a proposed resolution to authorize Mayor Choat to sign a real estate sales agreement with Blackwater Development Company, LLC. Mayor Choat explained to the public that the city had already declared as surplus its properties located at 525 Main Street, as well as 207 & 211 Kenimer Avenue for a prior real estate sale. It was never consummated. Since then, Blackwater made an attractive offer for raw land property they want to convert into a commercial development. Councilor Cook moved & Councilor Anderson seconded the motion for approval. UNANIMOUS Resolution No. 2025-52 President Taylor then opened a public hearing for a proposed alcohol license application. Attorney & The Silos Golf Course part owner Scott Barnett approached the public podium. He explained that in addition to its club liquor license, The Silos was seeking the same miscellaneous alcohol license that Grayson Valley & other country clubs also have. The Council posed no questions. Mayor Choat praised The Silos. Barnett informed everybody that all employees have already been trained through the State ABC’s Responsible Vendor Program. Since nobody in the public spoke up, President Taylor closed the hearing. Councilor Anderson then introduced a proposed resolution to approve the additional alcohol license for The Silos Golf Course. She moved & Councilor Cook seconded the motion for approval. UNANIMOUS Resolution No. 2025-53 Councilor Anderson then introduced a proposed ordinance. She moved & Councilor Cook seconded the motion for unanimous consent to suspend the rules & consider an ordinance immediately. Upon roll call vote, UNANIMOUS She then moved, & Councilor Cook seconded the motion, to name the municipal courtroom after Carl Edward Chamblee Jr. UNANIMOUS Ordinance No. 2025-033-ADM The entire room gave him a standing ovation. Judge Chamblee, his family & court staff were in attendance. He shook hands & received hugs from each official. Mayor Choat & he attended high school together. Mayor Choat, Councilor Anderson, Councilor Taylor & Councilor Cook each lavished praise on Judge Chamblee for his service. Judge Chamblee, in turn, thanked city leaders, the community, his wife Karen & their family for their support. The entire room gave him a standing ovation. Judge Chamblee is stepping down from the bench after 41 years.  Next, Councilor Cook introduced a proposed ordinance. He moved & Councilor Anderson seconded the motion for unanimous consent to suspend the rules & consider an ordinance immediately. Upon roll call vote, UNANIMOUS Councilor Cook then made the motion, & Councilor Anderson seconded, to rename Morrow Avenue in the Entertainment District as Buddy Choat Way. UNANIMOUS Ordinance No. 2025-034-ADM Mayor Choat jokingly asked whether he could veto the ordinance, evoking laughter from the entire room & a warm “No” from three amused councilors. Councilor Anderson, Councilor Cook & Councilor Taylor took turns expressing their praise & appreciation for Mayor Choat, his effective leadership & friendship. During committee reports, Councilor Anderson reported that the Veterans Committee is hosting suicide prevention training at the Civic Center on November 12, for anyone who wants to learn how to recognize signs that a current or former service member needs psychological help. She recognized Library Outreach Specialist Katie Evans, who gave updates on the book mobile & trick-or-treating on October 31. The Library will host a memorial service for the late Director Jason Baker on November 16. Also, ACTA’s next productions are Beetlejuice Jr. & A Truss Vegas Christmas. Also, the City Museum will host author Richard Neal on November 8, open from 10 am to 2 pm. Councilor Anderson had Councilor Bright’s proxy to give the city schools’ report. She mentioned the latest successes by the high school cross country teams, volleyball, & football squads, as well as the Marching Huskies band. She recognized school board president, Dr. Steven Ward, & fellow member Kathy Brown in the audience. Councilor Cook reported that the Parks & Recreation Board had met during the prior week. The department will begin imposing the same credit card fee rates that Administration already uses at its front counter. Also, the new playground behind the library will get a generous ADECA grant. Also, the Seniors Center Advisory Board had met during the prior week. Over 500 senior citizens participated in the Masters Games here in Trussville. Parks & Recreation & Seniors Center staff logged hundreds of hours as events hosts. Councilor Cook subsequently expressed gratitude to his wife Elaine, their family, City, its employees, committees & entire community “for the last 13 years” He thanked his elected colleagues, pointing out that they always got along even when they occasionally disagreed. Some of his family were in attendance. The entire room showed their gratitude to him. Councilor Taylor reported that the Chamber of Commerce will move into bigger office space provided by Trussville Utilities. Also, because the Jefferson County Sewer Board told their member utilities to resume cutting off delinquent accounts, the Utilities Board will give their customers advanced notice that they will resume this practice, which was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, he reported that the Chamber of Commerce is preparing for the annual Christmas parade & tree lighting on November 30; he acknowledged two Chamber staff who were in the audience. Also, Leadership Trussville’s next session will be Public Safety Day, where they tour various Fire & Police facilities. He then thanked the public “for 13 fabulous years” stating “it was the honor of my life to serve this city.” He expressed heartfelt appreciation to Mayor Choat, present & past councilors he served with, his wife Yolanda aka “Yo", their children & grandchildren. He complimented the incoming elected officials, expressing his full confidence. Even though he is retiring as a public official, he will always be available to help Trussville. The entire room echoed Taylor’s sentiments. Mayor Choat expressed his thanks “for the last 17 years” to many people -- including but not limited to then-Councilor Jane Bailey, wife Ginny & their entire family, department heads, Chamber of Commerce, Mike Strength & Trussville Utilities, his Cracker Barrel “Round Table”, engineers, financial advisors, & committee volunteers – for their support. He also mentioned the City’s $600,000 ADECA grant for updating the playground behind the Library & the Amerex Miracle League Field. He expressed confidence in his successor and incoming city council. He thanked Judge Chamblee & City Attorney Rick Stotser for their service to Trussville. He gave special heartfelt thanks to his executive assistant and longtime friend, Stacy Frazier. The entire room gave him a heartfelt standing ovation. During audience comments. John Underwood (172 John Street) inquired about getting an easement added to his property. The Loop Road Project will separate his residence from his garage, where he keeps his motorcycles & cars. He received a verbal commitment from Mayor Choat to get that addressed. He thanked the mayor & council for their service. Richard Epstein (4742 Boulder Drive) & school board chairman Dr. Steve Ward also expressed their appreciation to the outgoing mayor & council. With nothing left to review, President Taylor adjourned the regular meeting just after 7:10 pm. After a combined 48 years of elected public service, Mayor Choat, Councilors Bright, Cook & Taylor would leave office. Respectfully submitted, DJW City Clerk Dan Weinrib MMC