City Council - Regular Meeting

All right, good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the business meetings for the city of Prattville. We have one public hearing tonight before we move into our regular council agenda. Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Councillor Newman? Here. Councillor Jackson? Here. Councillor Chambers?

Here.

Councillor Merrick? Here. Councillor Whalen? Here. Councillor Stritchett? Here. Councillor Langley? Here.

All right, having a quorum present, I do cause public hearing to order. We have one item for public hearing tonight. It is a resolution to authorize the mayor to have overgrown grass and weeds at 1115 Mary Drive abated and charge any incurred expenses for the abatement process pursuant to Chapter 46, City of Prattville Code of Ordinances. Is there anyone here tonight who wishes to speak in favor of this item? All right, is there anyone here who wishes to speak in opposition of this item? All right, not hearing any, this public hearing is closed. You're now invited to stand for our Pledge of Allegiance, followed by an invocation which will be given by Councilor Chambers. I pledge allegiance 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

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we come before you tonight with grateful hearts, thankful for the opportunity to serve our community. We ask for your wisdom as we make decisions that affect the lives of our citizens. Help us to listen with open minds, speak with kindness, and always seek what is best for the people we represent. Please bless our first responders, our military, our teachers, and all those who work each day to serve others. Watch over our community, keep our families safe, and continue to guide our city with peace and unity. May everything we do tonight be done with integrity, humility, and respect with one another. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

All right, thank you. Madam Clerk, will you call the roll?

Councilor Newman?

Here.

Councilor Jackson?

Here.

Councilor Chambers?

Here.

Councilor Merrick?

Here.

Councilor Whaley?

Here.

Councilor Stritchett? Here. Councilor Lainley?

Here.

Thank you. Having quorum present, I do call meeting to order. Character trait of this month is obedience, quickly and cheerfully carrying out the direction of those who are responsible for me. Next item on our agenda is approval of minutes. You should have received all of these. They were for the City Council meeting of 7-7-26. Public hearing that was held on 7-23-26 and our city council meeting on 7-23-26. At this time, the chair will entertain a motion to approve these minutes. So moved. Moved by Councilor Jackson. Do we have a second?

Second.

Second by Councilor Chambers. All in favor of approving these minutes, please signify by raising your right hand. And these minutes have been approved unanimously. All right, at this time, we will welcome any comments from persons present regarding tonight's agenda. Well, if anyone who wishes to speak on an item that we are voting on tonight, line up on the right-hand side, and you'll sign in with the clerk. All right, not having any, Mr. Mayor, do you have a report?

Yes, sir. Good evening, counselors, and I guess a little warning up front, and it might appear that I'm making up for the last meeting where I did not have a report, but this report is a little lengthy, but please bear with me. Counselors Founders Day week was a special celebration for our community. It was good to see so many friends, neighbors, and families gathered at the Lyric at Esther's on Friday evening to celebrate our history and the people who continue to invest in our community. It was a great opportunity to honor where we came from while also looking ahead to the future. This celebration was made possible through the partnership of the City of Prattville, the Tulloch County Heritage Association, and the Furtugan Museum. I'm grateful to everyone who worked behind the scenes to make this week a success, to everyone who came out to celebrate. I also would like to recognize Councilor Merrick. He shared remarks on July the 20th during the Wreath Land Ceremony at Pratt Cemetery. So, thank you and job well done. Last Monday, we welcomed Congressman Gary Palmer and his team to Prattville as they traveled across Alabama. During their visit, they toured a few of our businesses. They toured the Long Lewis Ford Pro Elite Commercial Service Facility and Fraud's Lead Mobility, both businesses and industries that fuel Prattville's economic growth, create jobs, and strengthen our local economy. These visits are so important as we continue working to attract investment, support our existing industry, and make sure certain Prattville remains a great place to live, work, and play. This morning, I attended the Joint Board of Control and Military Affairs Council meeting in Montgomery, where important information was shared about the Air Force evaluation process for communities located near military installations. The Air Force is unique among the military branches because it provides a formal scorecard for communities that are located near its bases. The last evaluation for our area was completed in 2021, and we expect an updated assessment in the near future. One of the key areas the Air Force looks at is education and the community surrounding its bases. They consider the opportunities available for military families and whether a community has strong schools and programs that support the needs of those who serve. As we continue to have important conversations about education in our community, we must also recognize the connection between quality education and our relationship with the international baccarat and other educational paths that encourage academic success. prepare students for future careers, and provide opportunities connected to military service and workforce needs. I recommend more information being shared with our stakeholders and marketing on timelines and in future meetings. Counselors, I do have some good news and bad news, and I'd like to provide you with several project updates. And sometimes when I say good news, bad news, I think we all know that involves paving. But all paving is complete on Fairview Avenue. I can't believe I'm standing here saying that today, but I'm going to repeat that. All paving is complete on Fairview Avenue. Our city engineer will schedule a meeting to determine when final striping will be completed, and we'll report that date back. The paving for walking trails at Pratt Park and Mill Pond Park is expected to be completed by the end of the week, weather permitting. The only work remaining on McQueen-Smith Road turn lanes at J Street is permanent striping. This is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday of this week. All turn lanes are expected to be fully operational for the start of the school year. Construction is currently underway on the Old Ridge Road resurfacing project. Please use caution near house number 1143 of Old Ridge Road as city and county crews will be working together on Thursday and Friday in that area. Street milling and paving on Court Street from Tickner Avenue to 4th Street is scheduled to begin the week of August the 10th. City crews have been on site the last two weeks cleaning ditches and installing rip-rap at cross-strain pipes on Gardner Road in preparation for the resurfacing of Gardner Road from MLK to Upper Kingston. Construction start date is expected to be established within the next month. The contractor from North Highland Park has finally, finally received revised plans from the approved engineering firm last week. We hope to get revised pricing by the end of the month and then present the change order to the council. Once the change order is approved, the contractor can give a date when work can resume. Most certainly everyone will be informed of that. Council President Whaley, I want to thank you for explaining the reason for your abstention during the last council meeting when the vote was called on the one-time lump sum payment to city department retirees. Taking a moment to explain your vote, whether it's because of a conflict, needing more information, or another reason, helps the public better understand the council decisions and shows accountability. This should be a standard place in council rules, in my opinion. Also, counselors, per my email, I'd like to request that a work session or working lunch session be scheduled before we begin the formal budget meetings to discuss the future of our municipal swimming pool and our library, both important community assets, and each will require careful planning and funding in the years ahead. I believe it is important for staff to receive directions from the council on your goals and priorities for these facilities so we can better plan for the future. And also, as stated in my email, we owe ADECA a update on the swimming pool because it was built through that grant process back in 1978 that I believe that it was. And so we cannot close it down, dig it up or anything without notifying them and working with them through the process. I would also like to request a working lunch session to discuss the temporary moratoriums currently in place for package stores, convenience stores, gas stations, vape shops, and many warehouses slash self-storage facilities. The planning department has been reviewing the zoning ordinance and is ready to provide an update and discuss any recommended changes and receive guidance from this council. And while we're on the topic of planning and development, to provide a brief update regarding the challenges we are experiencing with 113 Isom Street. The current permit for this property expires this week on August the 6th. The property owners previously completed the dilapidated structure permit application, submitted it to the planning department on November the 4th of 2025. On December 2nd, 2025, my office received a letter from the property owners stating that work on the front portion of the house would be completed by the end of December of 25, with all repairs expected to be finished by March of 2026. Unfortunately, we have seen very limited progress on this dilapidated structure, and as this matter has been ongoing for nearly two years, dating back to September of 24, According to the property owners, the interior has been cleared and some of the windows have been boarded. However, from a structural integrity standpoint, additional work remains. The structure must be made wind and watertight, the remaining windows must be boarded, the rear addition must be replaced or demolished, and the floors must be repaired along with completion of the roof work. Property owners have notified planning staff that they will advise by the end of this week whether they intend to repair or remove the addition. At this point, I will be having a meeting with the Planning and Development Director and the City Attorney. Councillor Jackson, if you'd like to attend, we will be discussing the path forward as this property needs to be addressed. Please coordinate schedules with Don Russell. Right now, for some department heads, the budget process is at a standstill as they're waiting on the outcome of this evening's vote on the proposal of the rate increases for sanitation and wastewater services. So I hope that will be addressed tonight. So that is one component of our budgeting process we're waiting on. Counselors, I hope you've taken advantage of reaching out to the department heads for the committees you chair. I encourage that communication to continue as we work through budget questions. and for you all to gain a better understanding of the needs and challenges within each department. Counselors, I would like to address regarding regular agenda item three. As I think we all know, that have attended the meetings or watching it online were required by law to hold two city council meetings each month, which is why we have two separate agendas. More than 20 years ago, when I was a freshman council member, I suggested adding two work sessions each month. However, we communicate and share information. The way we communicate and share information has changed significantly over the years, and we now have more tools available to keep everyone informed and engaged. Today department heads include all counselors on agenda request. At one time it was just the chair and that committee and now it's the whole council along with other needed department heads as well. But we have created a successful notification process for code enforcement and we utilize digital documentation more and more. Counselors also have 24-7 access to the city's mailroom, along with other communication tools that have evolved with the times. These improvements have changed the way we do business and provide opportunities for questions, discussions, and collaboration without requiring additional standing formal meetings. And as you have heard tonight, I'm suggesting that we start having some working lunch sessions, which would be, I think, beneficial to, I think, to everyone. It will also have our department head working during their regular work hours instead of after hours. But I recognize the value that work sessions can provide, but I believe any change to our meeting schedule should be carefully considered before adding a permanent monthly work session. I emailed counselors my thoughts and concerns on Friday. I want to thank the counselors who have reached out to me to discuss this. But before voting, we should answer some important questions. What information are we not currently receiving? What communication gaps need to be addressed? And what specific benefit does a single work session provide when we have two council meetings a month? We also need to consider the impact on city staff. And one real world example is our magistrate, Charlotte Griffith. She often remains after council meetings to prepare the chamber for municipal court the next morning. How would a regular work session affect their responsibilities and schedules? Would department heads be expected to attend every work session, even if they do not have an item to present? What additional time, preparation, or overtime may be required? Have we considered how this change would possibly impact the ability to attend Autauga County Commission meetings? Their meetings are also held at 5 p.m., which could create conflicts and limit the ability to be present with our county partners. President, I know that you and several other of the counselors show up for those meetings, and I have been to some in the past as well. We should also clarify what topics belong in a work session, how agenda items would be selected, how staff would be notified and prepared, and whether work sessions would have a set time limit. When changes are made without careful consideration, they can create unintended challenges, add burdens for employees, or fail to address the issue they were meant to solve. And in my opinion, one example is increased speaking time to five minutes. I don't know exactly how much that is actually accomplished, but my recommendation is for that to go back to three minutes, because if there are questions that the council would like to hear from the person speaking, that is also an option that could be granted by the council president. But you know, many concerns can be addressed through effective communication. When we respond to emails, return calls, and work together, we demonstrate professionalism, respect, and shared commitment to serving our community. Councilors, I believe we owe it to our employees, our fellow council members, other governmental entities, and our citizens to make sure all questions have been answered, all impacts have been considered, and the change will provide the intended benefit. Councilor, moving on to another topic, it's hard to believe summer is already coming to an end. As a new school year begins, I want to wish all of our teachers, students, administrators, and school staff a wonderful and successful school ahead. As students return to school across the county, please remember to slow down, stay alert, and use extra caution in and around school zones. And do not forget that Meet the Lions is scheduled for Friday, August 14th at our beloved Stanley Jensen Stadium. In closing, I'd like to remember to everyone that we remind everyone we have two unsolved homicides in Prattville. Shannon Smith and Kaylin Smith. Kaylin, Shannon Park and Kaylin. One tip can make a difference in bringing answers to these families and holding those responsible accountable. Mr. President, end of my report.

All right, thank you, sir. Does anybody have any questions for the mayor?

You said Kaylin?

Yes. Talking about the young man, Colin? Colin, I'm sorry.

The young man, is that what you were talking about?

Yes, sir. The young man. Sorry, I'm a 16-year-old. No, no, I was just, I thought maybe that was another situation, but we're referring to the 16-year-old. Correct, the one that you and I have been on site up there around the apartments. Okay. Right off of O'Farm, O'Farm Lane.

Any other questions? I just have one more of a comment request, I guess. I did attend a commission meeting tonight, and so I'm glad you brought up the Old Ridge Road issue. So I know that that's going to be a joint project there, or it is a joint project between city and county. And the way it was explained at the commission meeting, it was about a... 500 foot section i think that they were digging out uh there's some groundwater issues there and some poor sub base correct um after the meeting the commission asked me if i would pass it along if we could use our notification systems that road will be closed in that area thursday and friday okay so if we could put that out on all of our yeah so thursday and friday it will be closed they hope to get it to a point where they can open it back up for the weekend it could possibly be closed monday but they are doing everything that they can to have it open for tuesday when school starts so i told them i would pass that along and we had several different ways that we could get that information out but that section will be closed thursday and friday thank you All right. At this time, we'll move into reports from our Council on Special Committees. Councillor Newman?

I have none.

Excuse me. Councillor Jackson? No, sir. Councillor Chambers? No, sir. Councillor Merritt? No, sir. Councillor Stritchick? No. Councillor Langley? Yes, sir. And I have none myself as well. All right, tonight we have the opportunity to create a consent agenda. There are four items that we may consider on this, and they are, item number one, a resolution to authorize the mayor to have overgrown grass and weeds at 1115 Mary Drive abated and charge any incurred expenses for the abatement process pursuant to Chapter 46, City of Prattville Code of Ordinances. Item number two is a resolution to set a public hearing to declare the abundance of overgrown grass and weeds at 830 Cottage Lane, 125 Kingston Place, 703 Waverly Lane to be unsafe and a public nuisance and order its abatement pursuant to Chapter 46, City of Prattville Code of Ordinances. Item number three is a resolution to grant permission to Sovereign Grace Church to collect a parking fee at the Grove for the 2026-2027 Prattville High School football season. Item number four is a resolution to authorize the city attorney to file a release of garbage and rubbish lien on 124 Warwick Drive. Do I hear a motion to create a consent agenda? I move. Moved by Councilor Jackson. Is there a second?

Second.

Second by Councilor Chambers, all in favor of creating a consent agenda, please signify by raising your right hand. And this consent agenda is now before us. Do I hear a motion to adopt the consent agenda? Moved by Councilor Jackson, is there a second?

Second.

Second by Councilor Mayer. Is there any discussion on the consent agenda? All right, not hearing any. All in favor of adopting the consent agenda, please signify by raising your right hand. And the consent agenda has been adopted unanimously. We'll now move into our regular agenda. Item number one is an ordinance to amend the City of Prattville Code of Ordinances, Chapter 66, Utilities Article 4, Solid Waste Divisions 1, 2, 3, and 4. This ordinance was introduced and held from our 7-23-26 meeting and is now properly before us. Is there any discussion on this item?

Yes, I would like to ask for a graphic to be displayed. I know I've already passed this graphic out to all the counselors, but I wanted to reintroduce it again before we voted on it. I just wanted to make sure that we had the information in front of us again so that we could talk about this if we needed to. The first thing I wanted to make sure was that we understood this is an enterprise fund. An enterprise fund is a completely separate type of fund from other things. It is a fund that is self-sustaining. It must bring in the money and pay for all expenses out of that fund. If you notice on the left-hand column, the fund that we have for the annual revenue fee, excuse me, it's about $3.76 million. We are over our expenses by about $169,000 or $170,000. We're pulling that from the general fund, which is Very difficult for us to do for a enterprise fund. If you look in the middle, you can see where our operational costs have increased. And remember, the last time that this rate was addressed was in 2021, and it's set to $21. Since then, wages and benefits have gone up by 4.1%. Contracted tipping fees, which is when we take the truck to the landfill and tip to dump it, is a 13% fee increase since 2021. Fleet maintenance, maintenance costs have gone up 40% whenever we have to deal with a truck maintenance issue or any kind of parts, labor, hydraulics-related issues. It's a 40% increase. And then new equipment replacement, just buying a new truck itself, that's a 30% to 35% increase since 2021. So with these increases that we have, we've got about... we're looking at the $5 increment increase will be about a 23% increase from 2021 to now. And that's on par with the consumer price index with the inflation rate that we have in the US right now. All we're trying to do here with this increase is level set our buying, our dollars buying power to the 2021 power that we had when we used the dollar then. I know we all know things have gone up. And that's all we're trying to do is address these cost increases. We did commission a rate study that was done here publicly. We had a sanitation committee where the sanitation committee members went over the rate increase and saw all this information in front of us. That was a public hearing. It was passed to the finance committee. The finance committee had a hearing on it as well, reviewed it, and it was read in front of us last city council meeting, so we're gonna vote on it tonight. I just wanna make sure that everybody understands Sanitation is a key component to the city services that we have, and it's set in an enterprise fund for a reason so that it can operate no matter what else goes on with the city government. It funds itself, it pays for itself, and the fees that go into it are what's used for it. this is a unfortunately a something that has happened because our inflation rate has gone up and we're having to address it over a five-year period I do want to try to maybe look at this in the future a little bit more periodically instead of waiting for a four or five year time period to address it and you know it's one of the things we want to we want to put forward but also you know These trucks run every single day. They visit every single house in the city. They operate every time they stop in front of a house. There's so much that goes into these trucks on the maintenance side where wear and tear is a major concern, and fleet maintenance and equipment replacement is a key part of this. So I just wanted, again, to bring this up, let everybody see it before we voted on it so that everybody can understand why this is being brought to us and why we're addressing it now.

Okay, is there any other discussion on this?

So yeah, Wade, I see your proposal here. I mean, how do we, you know, a lot of our senior citizens and individuals that are on fixed income, how do we rationalize this to them? How do we make them feel better and understand? Because that's what I've been hearing. I've been hearing from that particular group quite a bit. because they're concerned, they're saying, hey, everything's going up, of course this is going up, but our income's not going up. So how do we ease their minds with this proposed increase?

I mean, I don't necessarily have an answer to that. I'm looking at the cost overall. Like I said, for an enterprise fund, it's very difficult. We have to fund it from the fees that we bring in for the service. I'm open to any suggestions any other council members may have.

And I wasn't trying to put you on the spot. That's the group that I'm put here from. Whaley, how do our rates compare to county services?

Yeah, so I asked that question because there were some questions that I received about this. And I asked a member in the county, and I believe they use Meridian waste. And the person I asked said that it was $75 a quarter which I confirmed that at the County Commission meeting tonight. I talked with Commissioner Thrillkill and Commissioner Tatum both, and they said that they thought that was in line. It was about $75 a quarter, which is $25 a month. And that is for one can pickup a week and no yard debris, trash collection, or anything like that. So- in a comparison as far as what the residents outside the city and the county pay about 25 a month for for one can one one time a week um we are looking at 26 and and we include uh yard debris and and waste collection as well with that so

my personal opinion we're in line with where we need to be but i think that our rate study that we sanctioned and voted on here as a council uh confirmed that information for us mr mayor yes sir and um i guess for the record the city does pick up some garbage outside of the corporate limits and for the ones that that are outside the corporate limits they do not get yard debris pickup right

Okay. Is there any further discussion from council? I would like to, Mr. Mayor, just in the future, if you can, as our departments are preparing their budgets annually, like they are in the budget preparation process now, I would like them to urge their committee to meet and go over where we are every year with the council committee and have the finance director provide I know we get that information monthly but in the budget process they're looking at additional expenditures for vehicles and equipment and things like that so they're going to see that there's a potential increase when they're getting those numbers to put into their budget for the budgeting process. And if if the council committees could Review that annually at a committee meeting with those departments and they were to see that Hey, we're gonna we're gonna probably be okay this year. We might be a little close It could be possible that we could maybe do some smaller incremental increases if it comes about that that's needed and So just a request from, I know I'm on sanitation but I chair wastewater and I plan to pass that along and say, hey look, next year when you're beginning your budget process and you're looking at equipment and you realize a significant increase in equipment, let's talk about your rates as well. Let's talk about where we are as far as the fees to provide the service. Just a suggestion that hopefully that we can, in the future, if an increase is needed, we can catch that increase or that need for an increase earlier and be a smaller incremental increase and not... something that people look at over one time but with the rate study that we were with the the results of the rate study that we were given in comparison to garbage collection within the county i think we are in line as far as is where we need to be in the rate study supports that so councilman newman

was going to say i don't know not to put tracy on the spot but if you had any comparison numbers with any of the other communities around if you wanted to share that or if you had anything else you wanted to say i know you're i i know we've talked about comparison rate studies with other communities so i'm kind of tall i'm sorry

So I'm thinking we have a couple of areas that