City Council - Regular Meeting

It is now 545 and I will call our June 16th, 2026 work session meeting to order. We have a couple of things on our agenda that we should pay close attention to. And the first being Ms. Rita Smith with Elite County EMA is here to enlighten us on the East Alabama Regional Multi-Jurisdictional Hazardous Mitigation Plan.

Say that again three times real fast. At least you didn't say I was here to talk about the weather, because I'm not. It's going to rain for the next three days. I'm very sorry. You know, it is what it is. I am here to explain the very significance of why we have to have it signed. Not just for your residents and visitors of Opelika, but for the county as a whole. We now do it regionally. So there's 11 counties incorporated into what has already been signed by counties. But each municipality has to have a separate resolution in the event of. Um, a natural or manmade disaster that we have to have a federal declaration and claim. We have to have that on file. And also in order for you all to continue continue to move forward with your brick grant application. You need that on file with FEMA being shut down twice. There's been the brakes were stopped several times and it just got to where we could do it. So It'd be my pleasure to answer any questions, but I do want to let you know the necessary, how necessary it is to have that signed and on file as a precautionary method and to make you eligible for that brick grant.

Okay.

Here's resolution number six on the consent agenda.

It's on the consent agenda.

Yeah, number six.

Yeah. Any questions?

Yes, sir. Every five years it must be adopted. We start on it two years from now. We'll start on it

we'll have three more years to have it ready by the fifth year yes sir yeah 2021 january 2021 i believe was the last time we passed that is correct

It's about that thick. Yeah, I'm happy to try to send that and compress the file to you or provide Russell with a with a full copy for anyone to look at any time you would like, whichever your preference is.

I just was unsure. I know it's up to you.

It's a very large document, but absolutely. Or we could burn it to a desk and let you have it on file for you to be able to read.

The whole system looks like this.

Yeah, it did something.

I was gonna say I really appreciate all you do and all the Lee County EMA does to keep us safe. I appreciate it.

We appreciate the relationship we have with the City of Opelika. It's, it's a, it's a great thing to go to live and pay the taxes in the same county and city limits. and have great working relationships. All counties in the Alabama state are not that way. So we're very, very blessed whether we know it or not.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And we have another resolution on the consent agenda, which is number seven. And we ask. Joy, if he can kind of explain to us what's going on here.

I'm not sure how often they do it, but on occasion the Alabama legislature will pass a measure during session allowing RSA to pay a bonus to the retirees for the city of Opelika. They don't fund that, but they allow us to do that. So we have done it. a few times, several times. I really can't remember. Did it when I was on the council way back. It's something that we've just always done. And you see the amount there. RSA does that calculation, not us. They let us know what it is and they'll make the appropriate distribution to the folks if y'all pass that tonight. But it does have to be passed to approve that expenditure. Send it to RSA, yes.

And they tell us how much?

It's $78,000. Yeah, that's in the letter.

$1 per year.

No, it comes out to be a couple hundred dollars per retiree. It depends on their term years of service and what they calculate. But they send us the amount, and then we just go off that.

Okay.

I was curious and I don't know if you don't know it's okay I just was curious how many retirees do we have do you don't know okay I just wasn't curious but when you say a couple hundred retirees they handle it I'm we can get the list I don't need it I just was curious yeah it's an average some will get more some will get less it averages about three four hundred dollars there's no cost of living in when you retire you're retired yeah that's what you'll draw until You can't draw anymore, which would be at death for most of the options that are on there.

So is this 78405 in addition to what the state may give them a bonus?

The state's not giving them a bonus. The city of Opelika is giving them a bonus with the state's permission to do that. It's a one-time bonus. One time. Until next time. Until next time.

I think it was 22 or 23. It's been a few years. Yeah, it was a lot. It was a higher percentage that was approved through the legislature.

Well, any time we can show our retirees how much we appreciate what they did, the years that they did work, I think it's a great thing.

I think one of the key factors is there's no cost of living once you retire. It's there. And so we have some people that have been retired for them. a long, long time. So they do appreciate it. They'll let you know.

So if we vote it down, we might have problems.

They'll let you know about that, too.

Thank you. Mr. Mayor, is there anything else you might want to enlighten us on at this time?

Microphone, please.

All of them. A couple of things as we go through our meeting tonight, I'll ask Chief Clifton. He's going to come up and our police department is going to be recognized with a special honor tonight. And so y'all will be duly impressed by what that says. And so we're happy about that. The other thing I was going to point out to you on the monthly permits for May of 2026. You see that the total permits for the month was $33 million. That is the highest month of May in all the history recorded on this. And then if you just flip over and see the number of, I'm going to go down at the bottom, you see 98 new single-family homes. I'm assuming those numbers will start dwindling some because of the moratorium, but It was a really good month in May. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Thank you so very much. Now, Mr. Jones, anything else that comes?

All right. Thank you. Unless they want to talk about something on the agenda.

Yeah. Is there anything you might want to ask someone that's on the agenda that can enlighten you and other administrative heads? All right. If not, we're in this work session to begin our regular meeting at 6 o'clock.

And I'm going to get your name tags out.

I'm normally still putting content online.

All the content online except for this one story. I've uploaded all the pages to the print shop except for this one page. I know. We decided to hold the Auburn Council story till next week and put it online tomorrow. Five pages in them. Tons of public hearings. It's expected to be a two to three hour meeting.

Like, yeah, now...

I don't want to be up until midnight. We have moved past those days a little bit. We have a whole new workflow and it's going smoothly. Exactly.

Hey, at least you have good music. This is a good song. It's a great song. Yeah, I mean. You gotta talk somewhere.

Well, it's time to go out west. Describe the clock for your child. May I have your attention please? It is now six o'clock and I'll call on June 16, 2026

Opelika City Council meeting to order. Call the roll, Mr. Jones.

Ms. Holmes.

Here. Ms. Walton. Here. Mr. Bates.

Here.

Mr. Rowe. Mr. Allen.

Here. Tonight, we're pleased to have Reverend Will Spivey from the First Baptist Church of Opelika to lead us in our invocation. And we're pleased to have our players to be led by Boy Scout Troop Number 11. We will all stand, please.

Let's pray. Psalm 133.1 says, Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity, for there the Lord has commanded the blessing life forevermore. Father, we thank you for our community. We thank you for what you're doing in our community. And this evening, we pause to acknowledge that apart from you, we have no good thing. Father, I think about all the servicemen in our community, and I pray, Father, that when people look at Opelika, Alabama, That they would see a city on a hill that dwells in a beautiful unity that's reflective of your love. And Father, thank you for what you're doing in this community. Give these brothers and sisters as our counsel wisdom. Give them a posture of humility and service. And Father, the rest of our service, men and women in town, a posture of service and humility in an effort to cultivate something special that you're already doing in this community, Father. We thank you for the blessings you give us. I pray that we would be people who are cognizant of that blessing and that we take time each and every day to express our gratitude to you, Father. And all this we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

I pledge allegiance to the flag

Can we turn our attention to the adoption of the agenda? Are there any items that need to be added to remove from or changed to the order of the presented agenda? Having none, is there a motion for approval?

So moved.

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

Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye.

Aye. All voted aye to adopt the agenda. The proof of the minutes. Council members, you've received a copy of the minutes from our last meeting on June 2, 2026. Are there any corrections, additions, or deletions? If not, I will entertain a motion and a second to accept the minutes as presented.

So moved. Second.

Thank you. Mayor comments, Mr. Mayor.

Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. President. You all have in your package a copy of the city's financial summary for May of 2026. You take a look at it. If you have a question, feel free to give me a call. Also, as I mentioned during the work session, you also have a a copy of the monthly permits for May 2026, which the 33 million represents the highest number we've had since 2018. And it included 98 new single-family homes. And so we continue to have a lot of growth in our community. At this time, I'm going to ask you, Mr. President, to go down with me. Well, first of all, where's Chief Clifton? Chief Clifton, if you'd make your way up to the front, and the President and I are going to come down, and I think you have something you want to do, and then we'll follow that by the character count. Can we go ahead and start it off? Yes, sir.

All right. Everybody, I just wanted to speak tonight. We got accredited. Now, what that means, I'll let the chief from Ashland to explain the process and this accomplishment that we did.

OK, so a couple of years ago, the Alabama Association of Chiefs of Police established an accreditation program. And what that does is we send out assessors. And I come down and assess Opelika's policies to make sure that they meet the standards that we've set forth as an association that would give them what's called an accreditation. Tonight, we're honored to honor Opelika as being one of the first departments to reach that standard of accreditation. We're presenting him with a certificate stating as much and he'll also receive more accolades, I guess you will, at the next Chiefs Conference in Orange Beach. So it's my great honor as one of the committee members of the association accreditation program being known over like a police department having demonstrated its commitment to police excellence by lifting up to the progressive standards to ensure that police services are delivered within the community at the highest level of professionalism and integrity reflects the best professional practices in the areas of police management administration operation and support services is hereby recognized as an accredited agency for the period of five years upon the recommendation of the Alabama Law Enforcement Accreditation Committee and awarded this certificate of accreditation on this the 28th day of April 2026. Congratulations.

Before we sit down, I just want to say, you know, we're truly blessed, you know, to serve this community. Hope like a special. And when I found out about this, it took us a few months, actually about six months to get everything in order and to make sure all our records and our training and everything was up to date. But I'm glad to say that we're accredited now.

You all know on the second meeting of each month we are at the opportunity to recognize a character council recipient and so happens that the Ward 5, excuse me, the Ward 1 council member President George Allen is on the podium to do that today.

The character council worked for this money's loyalty. And I had that opportunity to see a group of young people give their heart and their soul to helping others. And I mean they do it religiously every day. But we'll get into that later. But Marty, would you come forward? And we ask that the mentors for the Penguin project come forward. Mentors. The mentor.

And we're trying to do this OK.

Tonight, we recognize a group of young students who have chosen to invest their time, talent, and heart to empower children with special needs through theater. A great demonstration of loyalty. While many students are balancing homework, extracurricular activities, family responsibilities, and their own personal interests, these young mentors and made a decision to do even more. They have sacrificed afternoon, evenings, weekends, and other opportunities so that another child or an adult may feel included, encouraged, and successful. They showed loyalty and patience when progress came slowly, offered encouragement when confidence was lacking, and provided friendship when it was needed the most. Through rehearsals, performances, countless moments behind the scenes, they have helped children discover abilities that they may not have known that they had. Marty Sherwood being at theater teaches much more than line and stage directions. It teaches confidence, teamwork, communication, and self-expression. Because of their dedication and loyalty, Those with special needs have experienced the joy of belonging, the excitement of accomplishment, and the pride of standing in the spotlight. What makes that contribution even more remarkable is that they are doing this while they're still growing and learning themselves. They demonstrate a level of loyalty, maturity, and compassion and servant leadership that inspire all of us who have seen them in action. They remind us that true leadership is not about recognition, but it's about lifting others up. The impact that they have made cannot be measured by recognition alone. It can be seen in every smile. that they helped create, every fear that they helped overcome, and every child whose confidence grew because these mentors believed in them. So I'm saying, thank you for your sacrifices. Thank you for your commitment. Thank you for sharing your gift. But most of all, thank you for proving that some of the greatest acts of service come from young hearts like those who make a difference in the lives of others. And I kind of stumbled through that because this means something to me, to see these young people performing. And are there any artists here as well? Will you come forward? Some artists that they've worked with.

Come on, Jay. Come on, Chief.

Come here. Come on.

How are you?

The Bears are going to present a certificate to the theater. And we're going to present one to each one of those. So if you will give each one. Just read them.

Give them one.

The name's on them. I want them to have it now. No. Kaylee King. Sylvia Marchetti.

Right here.

Magnolia Underwood. And let's see, Walter Green. And Reagan Stokes. Taylor Simpkins, she's leaving us, she's graduating. Kyleria's not here, okay. Okay. Lauren Benton's not here. And McKinsley Ford, where's Gabrielle? Okay, we have to pick Gabrielle.

Well, I got what you gave me.

I know.

Well, we will.

I get it. I'm so sorry.

And before I read this, I'd like to say that I had the pleasure of going on a Sunday afternoon to see the Penguin performance and the mentors and the actors. It would do your heart well to take an hour and go and witness this, you will be changed when you come out. It is a great pleasure that we acknowledge you for your outstanding character within the city of Opelika. Your goodwill towards mankind in our city has not gone unnoticed. We hope that others will see your good works and model your actions. Please be encouraged to continue making a difference in the city of Opelika and throughout the world. Presented this month of June 2026. Congratulations and thank y'all.

Jay Holmes is one of our original panelists. Oops. me.

Thank you. Public hearing, Mr. Jones.

Mr. President, there's one public hearing tonight. The first and only public hearings to amend the zoning ordinance and map at the 3400 block of Birmingham Highway. This is 18.34 acres from R4 to a C2 GCP.

I declare this public hearing open. 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. Agenda related public comments, Mr. Jones.

OK, if you'd like to speak to the mayor or the 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. Please keep the three minutes or less. Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Jones. the adoption of the consent agenda. Does any councilman wish to remove any item from the consent agenda and address it as part of the regular agenda? Having none, is there a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented? So moved. Is there a second?

Second.

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

Ms. Holmes.

Aye.

Ms. Walts. Aye. Mr. Biggs.

Aye. Mr. Allen. Aye. All voted aye to approve consent agenda. There are no resolutions that's not included in the consent agenda. Ordinance is Mr. Treese.

Good evening and thank you, Mr. President. Our ordinance tonight is to amend the zoning ordinance and map for the 3400 block of Birmingham Highway consisting of 18.34 acres from an R4 to a C2 GCP.

For first reading. I would like to ask a member of the council to introduce this audience for first reading. Thank you, Miss Holmes. Second, Rostock Public hearing.

All right. If you'd like to speak anything else, please come to the podium. Please sign the sign sheet. Please state your name, your address. Please keep it three minutes.

Good afternoon. My name is Harold Watley, level 11, 11 on Forest Walker Road, Opelika, Alabama. I come here tonight just to appreciate how much this means to me to be able to come up here and give you all my concerns as a citizen of Opelika. I've been here 26 years from War Guard to Beulah and Opelika for the last 15 years. We had a printing business here. We sold it in COVID. But I come here tonight to talk about data centers. I've seen that as a Uh, a rumor meal going around. Uh, I really wanna think about, I got, we have some great leaders by, by showing our police department, getting reward awards, fire departments, always getting recognition. And each one of y'all, I look up to y'all in every, every aspect of life. Uh, especially Eddie Smith. I've, I've known him for a while going through city council and now becoming mayor. I follow a lot of great leaders and I wanna, I wanna be that person. That's the only people I wanna follow is somebody that holds himself up here. at a high level. Data centers, we got pros and cons. We've heard them all. But this is Opelika, Alabama. We shouldn't follow other cities. We don't want to follow other communities. Let's lead county. That's what I'm about. I'm about leading, not following nobody. I'm looking up to y'all to make the right decisions, really weigh out the decisions on whether to bring data centers here or not. We've heard of rumors about abundance of power, abundance of water, and what it can do to our communities. I really see downtown Opelika boom again. When I walk downtown, there's only a very few restaurants. I remember my fears. I love that restaurant. I want to see other restaurants coming back to our downtown area. I want to see, I was in charge of a youth group, and we used to go down to Cyber Zone. And it saddened me now that we bring children down there, and there's nothing for us to do. Youth groups, children, Families, you know, I want to see more of that happening more of us coming together and actually becoming a great community for our families Looking to y'all and make the right decisions about this data center Squash it look really well the way the pros and cons on it and what it can do for us there's no we shouldn't have a Way to make fast money. That's what I see it as a way to make fast money of revenue coming in our city There's better ways we can do that and long-lasting. I don't want a quick money. I want to be able to have my grandchildren live here and become leaders in this town instead of us just for a quick fix and destroying our great community and great city. Like I said, I look to each and every one of y'all to make the right decisions on this. Thank y'all. Thank you.

I'm Sue Ellen Talickson. I'm at 910 David Street in Opelika. And this week, there was an article in The Guardian about data centers. And they were working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That's the government agency that tracks America's weather and drought conditions. And they mapped every single data center that's planned in the US. That's 809. And what they found was shocking. They found that two thirds of the planned data centers are going in areas that are already in a drought. And so that's kind of bizarre. Like, why would they do that? They need so much power and so much water that doesn't make sense. And so they looked deeper and investigated and other outlets investigated. And what they found was that they were looking for places that had cheap power, cheap land and regulations that had not kept up with the times. They weren't ahead enough to deal with data centers and so they could get in there before the regulations that caused all of the very expensive ways to deal with pollution and noise and light pollution and all of those kinds of things. We don't want to be one of those places. We want to be proactive and have zoning regulations and things in place to protect us. Even just recently in Bessemer in a majority black community with a median household income of well below the national average, community opposition temporarily halted construction of a data center that was projected to require two million gallons of water a day. That's roughly enough to supply two thirds of their entire population. That's one data center and two thirds of their daily water gone. And I just don't think that that's the kind of risk that we can take. They've been busted over and over and over, falsifying the data about how much water they're using. They'll do things like they will base their water usage on the amount of water that they need, but they're not counting the amount of water That's used to produce the power. So if they use closed loop cooling systems, that requires a lot more power. And a lot of that power comes from water. And so a lot of times they're underestimating their water usage by up to 60 percent. And, you know, we just cannot drink data. And so I appreciate you guys. I appreciate you taking the time to be forward thinking and look out for us. And I thank the Lord for you. Have a good night.

Thank you, Mr. Jones. Character trade of the month, loyalty, a strong feeling of support or allegiance. And at this time, our entertain a motion to adjourn.

So moved.

Second. Call the roll, Mr. Jones.

Aye. Swanton. Aye. Mr. Bean.

Aye.

Stroud.

Aye. Meeting adjourned.