By Hamilton Richardson
Elmore/Autauga News
You can view the video of the Prattville City Council Meetings in its entirety here by copying and pasting the link to your browser – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxN7Fx7C4ko&list=PLGmBaZToEEGanpw90g7pltcNFMO3_mtQ-&index=1
During the March 15 regularly scheduled Prattville City Council meeting, multiple ordinances and resolutions, along with several comments made by a concerned citizen, were addressed in a packed agenda that lasted over an hour.
On the Consent Agenda, which was passed and adopted, were six resolutions including Resolution 1, which was to set a public hearing to grant an amended Lounge Retail Liquor-Class 1 License to 2650 LLC d/b/a Adrienne’s Bar, Resolution 2, which authorized the approval of a Debt Management Policy and Resolution 3, which authorized the approval of a Budget Management Policy.
Also on the Consent Agenda was Resolution 4, which was to set a public hearing to declare keeping garbage and rubbish at 133 Sycamore Drive, Prattville, AL 36066 to be unsafe and a public nuisance pursuant to Sec. 46-4, City of Prattville Code of Ordinances.
Resolution 5 was to support the Historic Resource Survey grant application for Certified Local Governments and Resolution 6 was to surplus various mobile and handheld radios from the Fire and Police Departments.
On the night’s agenda were nine ordinances for consideration, however five of them were postponed until future meetings.
Ordinance 1, which was first introduced on 02/02/2022, was to adopt a new zoning ordinance, Ordinance 2, which was also held over from 02/01/2022, was to rezone property located inside the city limits in the downtown area into the Downtown Overlay District.
Also held from February was Ordinance 3, which was to amend and establish fees for development applications and permits, Board of Zoning Adjustment, Planning Commission and Historic Preservation Commissions Submissions. All three of these ordinances were passed by the council.
The next agenda items were a resolution to vacate a portion of the unimproved Yarbrough right-of-way, a resolution to grant a Lounge Retail Liquor-Class 1 License for Cloud 9 Hookah Lounge, and a resolution to authorize the mayor to enter into an agreement with Sain Associates to develop a bicycle and pedestrian plan at a total cost not to exceed $150,000 (net cost to city not to exceed $30,000). These three resolutions were passed.
The next measure for the consideration of council members, and which was after the reading approved, was a resolution to amend the FY2022 Budget and to authorize the release of funds for the purchase of P25 L3 Harris portable and mobile radios through State Contract T3004020005 from Communications International, Inc. for the Fire and Police Departments at a net cost not to exceed $812,767.33.
Another ordinance on the night’s agenda was a measure to amend City of Prattville Code of Ordinances, Chapter 2-Administration, Article V, Investment of Municipal Funds. After a motion to suspend the rules, the ordinance was approved.
Improvement to Stanley Jensen Stadium was the topic of the next resolution, which if adopted, would amend the FY2022 Budget and would authorize the mayor to enter into an agreement with Civil Southeast LLC for professional engineering and architectural design services for the stadium for the Parks and Recreation Department at a net cost not to exceed $694,000. Again, this measure was passed.
The last resolution of the evening, and the one many Prattville citizens have been anticipating, was a measure which would authorize the mayor to enter into an amended agreement with Pratt Mill Properties LLC to purchase property for the Parks and Recreation Department at a net cost not to exceed $975,000.
After the reading of the resolution by Councilor Robert Strichik, the District 6 Rep also proposed an amendment. The amendment to the resolution was then approved, although Councilor Marcus Jackson and Councilor Blair Gornto voted no. After a brief comment from Councilor Albert Striplin regarding the Picker House, the resolution was then passed with Striplin, Jackson and Gornto voting no.
Prattville resident Jon Lee Finnegan spoke up on two different occasions, before commission business took place and after, and brought up several items including questions about the purchasing of the radios for the Police and Fire Department, the purchasing of the property in agreement with Pratt Mill Properties and the use of federal funds and safety in the city.
“We’re spending money, a lot of Covid money, and as I’m sure you’re all aware, there were a lot of shootings this weekend, a couple deaths that I know of,” Commented Finnegan. “I’m just worried that our priorities are a little bit askew. It’s been told that we’re understaffed for the Police Department and it’s nice having a stadium and it’s nice having a park but if people are afraid to go out, or things are happening because we don’t have the police enforcement or police availability. So, I really think that we need to check our priorities, get the personnel hired that we need.”
After a few other comments by Finnegan to the council, Strichik spoke in response.
“Our Police and Fire Department are some of the best in our state,” he said. “They do a tremendous job with what they have to work with. They do. And they cover the city the best they can and we do need niceties for our city and as Chief (Mark) Thompson, who’s done a great job leading that department has mentioned, it’s not bodies he’s looking for his head count, its quality. And the problem right now that we’re having is finding quality police officers trained and ready to come into our Police Department.”
After some concluding comments, City Council was adjourned for the evening.
