By Hamilton Richardson
Elmore/Autauga News
Top Photo: Prattville Mayor Bill Gillespie speaks with one of the residents who came to share concerns about short-term rentals at Tuesday City Council meeting.
During Tuesday’s regularly scheduled Prattville City Council meeting, a great deal of public input was shared with councilmembers from issues dealing with short-term rentals to civil rights and redistricting.
Prior to the council meeting, a public hearing was held to allow citizens to address their concerns about short-term rentals and the city’s pending action on the issue.
Lora Lee Boone, Council President, let all those who shared their concerns know that all their input would be taken into consideration before any measures are taken by the council regarding regulating short-term rentals.
Several residents also came forward during the portion of the meeting for comments from the public and expressed their concerns about any proposed redistricting in the city. Many were pointing to an ordinance on the agenda dealing with legal descriptions of City Council Districts pursuant to the 2020 Federal Census.
On the Consent Agenda for the evening, the re-appointment of several individuals to the Industrial Development Board were considered including Tracy Alexander, Bo Jones, Sheila Morrissette, Sara Thompson, Robert Gipson, Virgil Newman and Thaddeus Bugay.
The re-appointment of William Barrett Jr. to the Board of Zoning Adjustment was also considered as well as the re-appointment of Dennis Mullins and Wayne Mooney to the Prattville Solid Waste Disposal Authority and the appointment of Rex Trammell to the same.
Two resolutions also on the Consent Agenda included declaring various weeded lots a public nuisance and setting a public hearing to declare stagnant water on Moncrief Street.
Last on the Consent Agenda was a resolution rejecting all bids for Pratt Park improvements.
All items on the Consent Agenda were adopted.
On the regular agenda, the first resolution was for the abatement of weeded lots and the second was to rezone property located inside the City Limits at 1976-1996 Fairview Ave. from FAR (Forest, Agriculture, Recreation) to B-2 (General Business). The rezoning measure was held until the August 2 meeting.
The approval of a one-time lumpsum payment to City of Prattville retirees and beneficiaries of deceased retirees at a cost not to exceed $92,186 was third on the agenda.
The purchase of an iPlan Workstation, supporting equipment and office equipment for the Planning Department at a cost not to exceed $20,867.67 was also under consideration.
Ordinance Number Five was of concern to the large crowd who had gathered for the meeting in which Ordinance Book 2011, Ordinance Book 2016-A and Ordinance Book 2020 would be amended to re-describe the legal descriptions of City Council Districts pursuant to 2020 Federal Census and to designate voting locations. This measure was held until the July 19 meeting.
A franchise agreement between the city and Spire Alabama was next on the list, which if approved would grant Spire the right to construct, operate and maintain a natural gas public utility in Prattville.
Lastly, a resolution was read to amend the FY2022 Budget and award a bid to Robinson Iron for one Caesar Model Cast Metal Fountain for the Engineering Department at a cost not to exceed $58,350.
All items except those held to later dates were approved by the council.
Several members of the public approached the council during the portion for comments from persons present, which takes place after official action on agenda items, and once again expressed their concerns about the redistricting ordinance and unfair treatment.
