City Council - Regular Meeting

Getting with the school board, they're changing the drop off and pick up times and we need to change the ordinance to get the flashing signs and the little signs up that says what times those are in effect. If you will be so kind as to suspend the rules and approve that tonight, I have it ready to be published on Thursday and it will go into effect at that time before the first day of school.

Do we have those signs?

It's in the ordinance. I think they moved up the drop-off time by 15 minutes. It went from like 7 to 6.45 at a couple schools. And then the drop-off time moved up a little bit as well, or the pickup time.

It's always changing. It's the time.

It's just the times. Yeah, the speed limits are staying the same. but just trying to get that done before the first day of school Friday. The other thing I have is I just wanted to remind everybody that item number eight on the consent agenda, the annual authorization to levy tax on property within Opelika, that's Radvalorum taxes. That's not a new tax. That's just a renewal so that I can give Olean Price a resolution to collect our taxes on.

And that's it. That's all I've got.

Okay. If there's nothing else that come before in this particular meeting, I will adjourn this meeting. We'll start our regular meeting at 6 o'clock. Thank you very much. May I have your attention, please? It is now 6 o'clock p.m. and I will call out August 4, 2026, Opelika City Council meeting to order. Call the roll, Mr. Jones.

Ms. Holmes. Here. Ms. Watley. Mr. Beams.

Here.

Mr. Rowe.

Here.

Mr. Allen.

Here. And for our invocation, we have our Reverend Jarrell Pryor from the Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church. And we have Mr. Russell Jones, who Lead us in our pledge of allegiance so we would all stand, please.

Gracious and loving God, we thank you. Thank you for another day on your greener. Thank you for another day to be an amazing, open like a citizen. We thank you for this time that we've gathered together tonight. to be about our civic duty, um, to lead and to govern. Um, thank you for our city council members. Thank you for the wisdom and discernment that you've given them, um, as they seek to do for, um, bringing about a better and a continued excellent Opelika God. And so we thank you for the night may be edifying, may be glorified. May everything that take place tonight be about making your city a better place. a better place, not just here, but for our community, for the greater Lee County area, for the state of Alabama, and for the United States of America all together, God. So we love you, we honor you, and we thank you. It's these things we ask in your name. Amen.

At this time we have the adoption of the agenda. Are there any items that need to be added to or removed from the presented agenda? Having none, is there a motion to approve the agenda as presented?

So moved.

Second. Any discussion? Having none, call the roll, Mr. Jones.

Ms. Holmes? Aye. Mr. Bean?

Aye.

Mr. Rupp? Aye. Mr. Allen?

Aye. All voted off. Approval of amendments. Council members, you have received a copy of the amendment from our last regular meeting on July 21, 2026. Are there any corrections, additions, or deletions? If not, I'll entertain a motion and a second to accept the amendments as presented.

So moved.

Second.

Thank you very much. Mayor Cummings. All is quiet over here, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Public hearing, Mr. Jones.

Mr. President, first public hearing is for a weed abatement assessment at 505 South 4th Street.

I declare this public hearing open. Anyone want to speak for or against this item, please come to the podium to my left. State your name and address. And remember, you have three minutes to speak. Having none, I declare this public hearing closed.

Second item is a public hearing for weed abatement assessment at 901 South 4th Street.

I declare this public hearing open. If anyone wants to speak for or against this item, please come to the podium to my left, state your name and address, and remember you have three minutes to speak. Having none, I declare this public hearing closed.

Third item is a weed abatement assessment, a public hearing for weed abatement assessment, 814 Donald Avenue.

I declare this public hearing open. Anyone wants to speak far against this item, please come to the podium to my left and state your name and address. And remember, you have three minutes to speak. Having none, I declare this public hearing closed.

Fourth public hearing is for a weed abatement assessment at 710 Elizabeth Street.

I declare this public hearing open. Anyone wants to speak for or against this item, please come to the podium to my left and state your name and address. And remember, you have three minutes to speak. Having none, I declare this public hearing closed.

Fifth public hearing is for a weed abatement assessment at 1801 South Long Street.

I declare this public hearing open. Anyone wants to speak for or against this item, please come to the podium to my left and state your name and address, and remember you have three minutes to speak. Having none, I declare this public hearing closed.

Sixth and final public hearing is for a weed abatement assessment at 202 Raintree Street.

I declare this public hearing closed open. If there's anyone wants to speak for against this item, please come to the podium to my left and state your name and address and remember you have three minutes to speak. Having none, I declare this final public hearing closed. Agenda related public Comments, Mr. Jones.

Okay, now's the time if you'd like to speak to the mayor or council about anything that's currently on tonight's agenda, please come to the podium to my left. If you have not, please sign into the sign-in sheet with your contact information. If you do speak, please state your name and your address. If you do speak, three minutes or less. Thanks.

Thank you. We have no general business that's not included in the consent agenda, nor bids. Resolutions, Mr. Treece.

Hold on.

Thank you, Mr. President.

You want to? We need to approve the consent agenda.

Approve the consent agenda.

We did. Consent agenda's next, so. Okay, I'm sorry.

I skipped that, yeah. Next on the agenda is adoption of the consent agenda. Does any council member wish to remove any items from the consent agenda and address it as part of our regular agenda? Having none, is there a motion for approvals to consider agenda as presented? So moved. Is there a second?

Second.

Any discussion? Having none, call the roll, Mr. Jones.

Ms. Holmes. Aye. Mr. Beams.

Aye. Mr. Routt.

Aye. Mr. Allen.

Aye.

All voted aye to adopt the consent agenda.

Now we'll move to our resolution, Mr. Treece.

Thank you, sir. Resolution number one is a weed abatement assessment for 505 South 4th Street.

Is there a motion for approval?

So moved.

Is there a second? Second. Any discussion? Having none, call the roll, Mr. Jones.

Ms. Holmes. Aye. Mr. Bing.

Aye.

Mr. Rell. Aye. Mr. Allen.

Aye.

All voted aye.

Resolution number two is a weed abatement assessment at 901 South 4th Street.

Is there a motion for approval?

So moved.

Is there a second? Second. Any discussion? Having none, call the roll, Mr. Jones.

Holmes. Aye. Mr. Bames.

Aye.

Mr. Raut. Aye. Mr. Allen.

Aye.

All voted aye.

Resolution number three is a weed abatement assessment at 814 Donald Avenue.

Is there a motion for approval? So moved. Is there a second? Second. Any discussion? Having none, call the roll, Mr. Jones.

Holmes. Aye. Mr. Beames?

Aye.

Mr. Raut? Aye. Mr. Allen?

Aye.

All voted aye.

Resolution number four is a we debatement assessment at 710 Elizabeth Street. Is there a motion for approval?

So moved. Is there a second?

Second.

Any discussion? Having none, call the roll. Mr. Jones? Holmes? Aye. Mr. Beames?

Aye.

Mr. Raut? Aye. Mr. Allen?

Aye.

All voted aye.

Resolution number five is a we debatement assessment at 1801 South Long Street. Is there a motion for approval? So moved.

Second. Any discussion? Having none, call the roll, Mr. Jones.

Ms. Holmes. Aye. Mr. Beams.

Aye.

Mr. Rupp. Aye. Mr. Allen. Aye. All voted aye.

And the last resolution, number six, is for a weed abatement assessment at 202 Raintree Street.

Is there a motion for approval? So moved. Is there a second?

Second.

Any discussion? Having none, call the roll, Mr. Jones.

Ms. Holmes. Aye.

Mr. Bing. Aye.

Mr. Raut.

Aye. Mr. Allen. Aye.

All voted on.

Ordinances.

Mr. Treese. Ordinance number one is to amend section 16-188 of the city code of ordinances related to school zone speed limit times for Opelika City Schools. This is the first reading and I believe we've Mr. Jones has asked the council if the council will consider suspending the rules and passing this in time for school.

I will ask a member of the council for a motion to suspend the rules on ordinance number one. Introduce it first please.

I need to introduce it first.

I'll ask a member of the council to introduce ordinance number one.

My pleasure.

Thank you. At this time I ask a council to council member for a motion to suspend the rules on ordinance number one. So moved. Is that second? Second. We have a motion and a second to suspend the rule. Call the roll, Mr. Jones.

Let me just state I had Mr. Routt as a motion. I got Genotica as a second. Is that OK?

Yeah.

OK. Ms. Holmes. Aye. Mr. Beek. Aye. Mr. Routt. Aye. Mr. Allen. Aye. All voted aye to suspend the rules and have a second reading.

Now, so we still need to approve it. Approve. OK. I will now entertain a motion to approve for the approval for audience number one.

So moved.

Second. Any discussion?

Discussion, Mr. President. Councilwoman Holmes asked, I think, was a really good question about School zones, the speed limits, and the time change. Can you please list those out in the spirit of transparency so everyone can know what they are and what times they are? Sure.

We got it right here. This is available on our website as well. Hope Wicca High School, can we go to the podium?

Please.

Again, the speed limits are not changing. This is only for the times. Opelika High School is 25 miles per hour. It is during the hours of 7 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. for drop-off and 2.55 p.m. to 4 p.m. for pickup. Opelika Middle School is 20 miles per hour, 7 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. for drop-off and 2.55 p.m. to 4 p.m. for pickup. Morse Avenue Intermediate Schools is a 25 mile an hour zone. 6 45 a.m to 8 a.m for drop-off and 2 p.m to 3 15 for pickup. Northside Intermediate School is a 20 mile an hour zone from 6 45 a.m to 8 a.m for drop-off and 2 p.m to 3 15 for pickup. West Forest Intermediate School is a 20 mile per hour zone from 6 45 a.m to 8 a.m for drop-off and 2 p.m to 3 15 for pickup. Carver Primary School is a 20 mile per hour zone from 6.45 a.m. to 8 a.m. for drop-off and 2 p.m. to 3.15 for pickup. Jeter Primary is a 20 mile per hour zone from 6.45 a.m. to 8 a.m. for drop-off and 2 p.m. to 3.15 p.m. for pickup. Southview Primary School is a 25 mile an hour zone from 6.45 a.m. to 8 a.m. for drop-off and 2 p.m. to 3.15 p.m. for pickup. The Opelika Learning Center is also in here for 20 miles an hour from 7 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. for drop-off, 2.55 p.m. to 4 p.m. for pickup. And finally, Fox Run School is a 25 mile an hour zone from 7 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. for drop-off and 2 p.m. to 3.15 for pickup.

Any other discussion? Thank you, Mr. Jones. Having none, call the roll, Mr. Jones.

Aye. Mr. Bean.

Aye.

Mr. Rell. Aye. Mr. Allen.

Aye.

All voted aye to approve.

Ordinance number two is an ordinance which would rename Joanne Drive to Faith Way. This is for first reading.

I'd like to ask a member of the council to introduce this ordinance for first reading.

My pleasure.

Thank you, Mr. Second, Ross, the public here, Mr. Jones. Okay.

Now, if you'd like to see the mayor's help about anything else, please come forward to my left. Sign the signing sheet with your contact information. State your name, your address. If you speak, please keep it three minutes or less. Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Jones. The character trait of the month, commitment, an agreement, a pledge to do something in the future. And at this time, I entertain a motion to adjourn. I moved. Second. Call the roll, Mr. Jones. Holmes.

Aye. Mr. Babes.

Aye. Mr. Rell. Aye. Mr. Alley. Aye. Meeting's adjourned.