City Council - Regular Meeting

Anyway, question Somebody inspect. tomorrow.

Hello everyone. Start off this God did. I needed one. That's my problem.

Place down there. I got to go get stuck at like a bomb. didn't get over the right. water. That's What time?

Two and two. Sorry, please. All right. Before we start our council meeting this evening and work session, we're going to uh honor these 4 people that we got over here. Councilman Brown is going to handle that. FA I'm sorry. And Council Brown.

Thank you. At this time, having been a former ACT teacher for 38 and a half years, it's a pleasure for me to see each of you here tonight. I appreciate you being here and participating or seeing the partic the uh how the government works in Wanka. Uh you exemplify what the FFA creed stands for. Learning to do, doing to learn, earning to live, and living to serve. In your classrooms, you're learning to do many things. And by learning those things, you go back into the shop or into your community or whatever. And you do those things. Learn to do, do to learn. You do those things to learn those things. You put your hands on. And when you put that hands on, you learn how to do it. You do those things so you can go back into your community and you can serve your community. Uh there's no greater satisfaction that I know than to be able to serve your community. Give back to your community. If you give back to them, they're going to give to you. I knew two people when I came here 45, six, seven years ago, taught over 4,200 and all those parents. I cannot go anywhere. even Atlanta, Georgia in a McDonald's where I turn around and see in the former students. It's wonderful. It's absolutely wonderful. Um, it gives me great pleasure to recognize you tonight. Uh, I'm going to present the proclamation. If y'all FFA members, would you please join me in Clay Advisor, you please join me here, please? I'm going to read a proclamation that

was signed by our mayor just a few moments ago and it says whereas FFA and agricultural education provide a strong foundation for the youth of America and the future of food, fiber and natural resources. And whereas FFA promotes premier leadership, personal growth and career success among its members. And whereas agricultural education and FFA ensure a steady supply of young professionals to beat the growing needs in science, business and technology of agriculture. And whereas the FFA motto, learning to do, doing to learn, earning to live, and living to serve, gives direction and purpose to these students who take an active role in succeeding in agricultural education. And whereas FFA promotes citizenship, volunteerism, patriotism, and cooperation. Therefore, I do hereby designate the week of February the 21st through the 28th, 2026 as National FFA Week. Congratulations. At this time, I think the council would like to hear some of the things that you have been doing. Uh the this group is active, active, active. They're doing something all the time. And if if uh I don't know who your spokesman would be, but if y'all want to kind of address us and tell us a few things, we would would love to hear from you.

My name is Chloe Ford. I'm the FFA president this year and I just want to tell you a little about our show team. So I've been a part of show team for two years. This year we have pigs and I just feel like it's such a good learning experience and we learned the responsibility and hard work it takes. And so far this year we've been to the Elmer County uh show and we had champions and reserve and then we went to the youth out of Swan Expo where we got people that plays from first through fifth in their show and then we went we're going to a Taco Bell this Friday to show. Hopefully we do really good and then we're going to go state in March 14th through 17th. So we're hoping to grow our program and have more people on the show. Thank you. My name is McKenney Torres and I'm the reporter for the Watumpa chapter and I'm here to talk to y'all about the invitations and National FFA week. So National FFA week, as y'all just heard, is the third week in February. That Tuesday, we're going to Capitol Hill and talking to our senators and representatives about ACT issues and ACT education. Now, that Thursday, we're hosting a breakfast for all supporters, faculty, and donors to come and we're just inviting you to give back to our community. And I hope I will see y'all all there.

Good. Thank you. Thank you. How many of you guys in the audience were members of the FFA? Get your hands up a little higher. Let's play. How in the world did you get into that CS Bmore Senior? Well, for closing, we have our Creed speaker. Did you compete the creed speaker, Mr. Play? Did you compete speaking?

We grew tomatoes and Jackson. So in FFA there's leadership development events LDE prepared speaking, extinct speaking and creed speaking. Creed speaking is five paragraphs of the FFA creed where the students memorize the creed and recite the creed and then answer questions at the end for district and state contest. So Jackson is our representative that will be competing in district contest. If we get in the top four spots, we are going to state. So for a practice run, he'll recite five paragraphs that they create for you guys. Just hang on a second.

The FFA creed by Tiffany. I believe in the future of agriculture with a faith born not of words but of deeds. Achievements won by the present and past generations of agriculturists and the promise of better days through better ways. Even as the better things we now enjoy have come to us from the struggles of former years. I believe that to live and work on a good farm or to be engaged in other agricultural pursuits is pleasant as well as challenging. For I know the joys and discomforts of agricultural life and hold an inborn fondness for those associations which even in our discouragement I cannot deny. I believe in leadership from ourselves and respect from others. I believe in my own ability to work efficiently and think clearly with such knowledge and skill as I can secure and in the ability of progressive agriculturists to serve our own and the public interest in producing and marketing the product of our toy. I believe in less dependence on begging and more power and bard in the life abundant and enough honest wealth to help make it so for others as well as myself and less need for charity and more of it when needed and being happy myself and playing with those whose happiness depends upon me. I believe that American agriculture can and will hold true to the best traditions of our national life and I can exert influence my home and community which will stand solid for my part in that inspiring task. Thank you.

And again, thank you guys for letting us tonight. Thank you. Appreciate it. Good luck to you. Thank you.

All right, we're going to end our work session at this time. Um, items on the agenda tonight under new business is the public hearing resolution 2026-2-2-1, a resolution approving the economic development agreement for Grove Station Restaurant and Bakery, which is downtown. And then item three, a public hearing also for 010 lounge retail liquor class one license for full LLC cus river craft house located at 91 spring street Alabama. And then item seven I think the next two five and six.

Six. Okay. Item seven, permission for the police department to purchase five vehicles at a cost of 289,717.89. First time on the agenda. We carry that over.

Okay. And then item eight, approve repairs for the five apparatus engine 101 and 102 to address diesel exhaust issues at a cost of $8,000. Also, first item on the agenda will be carried over to the next meeting. And then item nine, approve a tree removal from the Welcome Municipal Airport at a cost of $11,500. Uh, first time on the agenda, so it will be carried over. Uh, I'm familiar with that tree removal at the airport.

I need some help. Permission to replace the turbo on the grapple truck at a cost of $7,469. First time on the agenda. Mr. Brown, are you can you carry it over? Yes, sir. I need that. You need to suspend the rules and act on it tonight. Yes, sir. Okay, we'll we'll do that. Okay. Um, anything from my boards and committees? I see that we have the Miss Vanessa from the Chamber of Commerce with us tonight.

Oh, sure. Thank you. I just would like to remind everyone um es especially those of you at the city that our chamber annual meeting and awards of excellence where we will uh recognize businesses and organizations in the Wumpa area that have done outstanding work over the last year and just kind of celebrate the year ahead. Um that will be next Wednesday the 11th at the Wak Pacific Center. So, we as always, we appreciate you, mayor, and council and and public works and all the different departments. Everybody's so good to us and supportive and um we appreciate y'all. And I would just personally like to say one thing to the FFA students. My daughter, who some of y'all probably knew, Easy Lynch, she was a very active in the FFA. She got a dollar raise right off the bat when she went to Auburn and got a job with the equestrian center because she had learned how to drive the tractor. in the Watka FFA and it has already opened a lot of doors for her. So, y'all keep it up. We appreciate what you do, too. So,

did you get that when you went to

Okay. Um, let's enter into our council meeting session and we'll call the meeting to order. Invocation be given by council person Gant and the pledge by council person Robbins. Let us pray. Our heavenly father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for this opportunity. We really really feel well blessed for our our police officers that we've witnessed tonight and the step that they have taken forward and how they are helping us and the job that they do along with our other first responders and our fire department. And we're really blessed to have these young people with FFA and something that that makes us think that this is our future and our future is in good hands. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Amen. 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.

Roll call. Council member Robbins. Council member Tucker. Council member Justice here. Council member Gant here. Council member Brown here. Mayor Willis here. You received in your packet a copy of the minute from the council meeting held on January 20 of 2026. Are there any corrections to those minutes? Being no corrections, we'll entertain a motion for approval. Second. Have a motion. We have a second. All in favor, let it be known by saying I. I.

Anyone opposed? So those minutes have been approved and the new business this evening will enter into a public hearing session res for resolution 2026-2-2-1 resolution approving an economic development agreement for Grove Station restaurant and bakery which should be in your folders. Okay. Anyone here to speak in favor of this resolution? Anyone here to speak against? All right. Having held a public hearing, we'll move on. Item two, resolution 2026-2-2-1, resolution approving an economic development agreement for grow stations, restaurant, and bakery. Do we have a motion? So move.

Okay, we have a motion. Do we have a second? Second.

Okay. Any discussion? All in favor of the resolution, let it be known to say I. I. Anyone opposed? Okay. So, that two has been granted. And item three, public hearing 010 lounge retail liquor class one license from a full maker LLC, Cuser River Craft House located at 191 Spring Street, Wunk, Alabama. Anyone here to speak in favor of this? Anyone here to speak against it? Okay, having held the public hearing, we'll move forward to item four, approve 010 lounge retail liquor class one license for Full Mon LLC, Coos River Craft House, located at 191 Spring Street, Weump, Alabama. We'll entertain that motion.

So move and a second. Second. Okay, we'll have a motion and a second. Any discussion? All in favor, there' be no saying I. I.

Anyone opposed? So that too has been granted. Okay. Item five, public hearing 050 retail beer off premise only and a 070 retail table wine off premise only for food for less weumpa LLC. Piggly Wiggly Food for Less located at 5326 US Highway 231, Wunka, Alabama. Anyone here to speak in favor of this? Anyone here object to this? All right, having held the public hearing, we'll move forward. Item six, approve a 050 retail beer off premise only and a 070 retail table wine off premise only for food for less weumpa LLC. Piggly Wiggly Food for Less located at 5326 US Highway 231, Wumpka, Alabama. We will entertain the motion for approval.

We have the motion. Do we have a second? Second. Okay, we have a motion. We have a second. Any discussion on this? The only thing I'll say is them not having this license haven't slowed the people down from going in there. It has been one busy opening. So, okay. So, we have a motion. We have a second. We've had discussion. Luna saying the motion for approve. We did that. Yes. G you should just stay out of this.

Okay. Um all in favor say I. I. Anyone opposed? So that too has been granted and yes they will be able to sell them. Okay. Item seven, permission for the police department to purchase five vehicles at a cost of $289,717.89 cents as the first time and be carried over to the next agenda.

Have a question. Is this going to replace five that are currently in use or is this in addition to? It's replacing three, two, and addition two, so we can move two other vehicles into another division. Okay.

All right. Then item eight, approve repairs for fire apparatus engine 101102 to address diesel fuel exhaust issues at a cost of $8,000. That will be carried over to the next agenda. Item nine, approve tree removal from the ret municipal land board at a cost of $11,500. First time on the agenda to be carried over um to the next agenda. The reason I laughed about that is my first action that I took when I came in as mayor is I got a letter from the FFA saying if they didn't cut the trees down at the end of the airport that they were going to close the airport. I didn't know any better. I thought we needed to cut the trees down. So told fell to go out there and look at them and give us a price. Well, he went out there and cut them down. And uh I had cut those down without getting permission. What a way to start 20 years of service. Okay. Item 10, permission to replace the turbo in the grapple truck at a cost of $7,469. And the director would like to suspend the rules to move forward with this. So, do we have a motion to suspend the rules?

I make motion we suspend the rules. You have a second. Second. Move. Yes. Council member Robbins. Yes. Council member Tucker. Yes. Council member Justice. Yes. Council member Van. Yes. Council member Brown. Yes. Mayor Willis? Yes. Rules having been suspended, we can move forward with this. We'll ask for a motion for approval. Mayor, I'd like to make that motion. Okay. You have the motion. Do we have a second? Second. Have a motion. We have a second. Any discussion on this? All in favor say I. I. Anyone opposed? So that too has been taken care of. Thank you.

Well, that put everything back. You just have the one truck that's down. Just Okay. I'm looking for a motion for a journ. So move. All right. We'll stand.