City Council - Regular Meeting

Welcome everyone to Elizabeth Town City Council regular meeting for February 17, 2026. I'd like to call it to order and I would also like to ask Council Member Micah Tyler she lead us in the invocation. Please

please bow your heads. Heavenly Father, as we gather today, we ask for the light of your Holy Spirit to guide our discussions and decisions. May our words be spoken with clarity and our hearts be open to the needs of others. Bless our first responders and all those who protect our community. Keep them safe in their service. Comfort those in our community who are suffering from illness, loss, or hardship, and surround them with your healing love. Grant us wisdom and discernment as we work together for the common good. We place this meeting in your loving hands and ask that all we do here be done in your greater glory. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Amen.

And if you would join us in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Madame clerk, if you would please call roll. Yes, sir. Council member Bishop here. Bulkerson here. Isaacs here. Jones here. Springsteen here. Tyler here. Mayor, you have a quorum. Thank you, ma'am. And if everyone approves of the minutes from February 2nd, 2026, second. We have a motion and a second. All in favor? I opposed. Thank you all. And Judge Howard, if you are ready, we will start with the first reading by motion of ordinance number 4, 2026, closed portion of Sutton Lane. If I can get a motion and a second to read.

So moved. Second. All in favor? I opposed. Judge Howard. This is a first reading. By summary, this ordinance will close a portion of rightaway known as Sutton Lane and the remaining portion will be incorporated into Commerce Drive. All property owners have been notified and have given their consent. The full text of the ordinance can be found by contacting the city clerk. Again, this is a first reading.

Any discussion? Seeing none, we will move on to municipal order number 9, 2022, purchase of property at 522 Commerce Drive. If I can get a motion in a second to read, please. So, second, all in favor? Opposed? Judge Howard.

At a regular meeting of the city council held on the date set out below, after first being read, a motion to adopt the following municipal order was duly made, seconded, and approved. Whereas the city identified the need to upgrade the Commerce Drive corridor through various transportation studies and the Envision Elizabeth Town 2040 comprehensive plan and has awarded a contract for this road construction project. And whereas the city has budgeted funds for the expansion and extension of Commerce Drive from Executive TR Drive to its terminus at Springfield Road to include the acquisition of additional public street or right ofway and the acquisition of utility and drainage easements. Whereas Philip and Roxanne Alhorn own property located at 518 Commerce Drive and are willing to sell a portion of said property and to provide drainage and utility easements across their remaining property to the city for the Commerce Drive quarter road improvement project. Now, be it ordered by the city council that the city purchase a portion of the property located at 518 Commerce Drive, which will be known as 522 Commerce Drive upon the subdivision of the property from Philip and Roxan Alorn in the amount of $25,000. Be it further ordered that the mayor andor his designate is authorized to sign all agreements, contracts, deeds, closing documents, forms, subdivision plats to perfect this order, including having the property surveyed and platted and a title report prepared for the property to be purchased. RED adopted and approved the 17th day of February.

Any discussion? Seeing none, I need a motion and a second to adopt if you agree. Motion second. All in favor? Opposed?

Seeing none, motion carries. Thank you all. And I know this meeting has been rather quick, but that is what we have for business. Do we have any public comments? Seeing none, we'll move to city council information items. The next city council meeting will be held on February 23rd, 2026. I would also like to extend a happy birthday to Council Member Marty Fulkerson. He will be 60 tomorrow. And I know that he doesn't look that young, but congratulations and happy birthday to Councilman Fulkerson. And I'm going to put Ed Pope on the spot real quick because I want him to talk real quick if he doesn't mind about the neighborhood meeting North Downtown Master Plan which is Thursday, February 19th at Central Avenue Baptist Church from 6:00 to 7:30 and what we're looking for and what what we would like to see participation wise from the community. Now,

this is actually the uh second meeting that we've held in this neighborhood. The first meeting was back in the fall. Uh we got a lot of good public input on um just concerns that the neighbors had. This will be our target area for the next round of uh funding that we the city receives from the community development block grant program. The basic boundaries of the neighborhood are uh South Malberry on the north boundary, the railroad on the south boundary, uh William Street to the east, and East Popppler on the west side. So, it's a a larger area than we did uh the Haycraft neighborhood, but uh again, we were looking for more input from the property owners in that area. We heard uh issues about just compatibility of land uses and walkability in the community. Uh so, we've got some information that our consultants TSW has put together. Um, and like the mayor said, it's a openhouse format, so folks can come and go as they please. There's not a real formal presentation. and there will be opportunity to share comments on uh some of the ideas that we've developed. But we hope to spend um a number of years in the neighborhood helping to redevelop u the area, place uh some infill residential housing in some areas, upgrade uh pedestrian access through sidewalks and trails in the area. Also probably look at uh street lighting along the the area. They're quite because it is an older section of town, there's um a number of alleys in the neighborhood. So, we're going to look close at them on how we can use them for both pedestrian access, but

also make it a lot safer for the folks in the neighborhood. Any questions for Mr. Pope? You know, when you're an expert, you're never put on the spot. He just moved. You all have anything else that you want to bring up? Anybody? Well, I told you it would be easy. With that, I need a motion and a second to adjurnn. Nobody wants to leave, apparently. I'll make a motion. Second. All in favor? Opposed? Seeing none, motion carries. We are adjourned. Thank you all.