Weaver, AL – Weaver held the regularly scheduled City Council meeting on Tuesday, January 24th, 2023.
Work Session
During the work session Public Works director Joey Conger explained that during construction of the bathrooms at the park a picnic table was backed over. This table will be removed from the park and a replacement will be ordered. This will be at the expense of the construction company not the city. The limb truck is still not back, but the hope is that it will be back in service by next week. Mr. Conger’s department will also start putting up the band signs that were made to recognize the state championship win by the Weaver band.
Fire Chief Chief Bunn addressed the demolition grant that was received by the city. There are still $30,000 in grant funds and two buildings the city would like to get taken down. Chief Bunn will contact the grant organization to request an extension and to make sure there is still time to proceed with the demolitions and to secure a project manager.
The planning board will meet next Tuesday to discuss the proposed Buckhorn development. As of now the development plans still only have five feet between buildings and the city would like this expanded. If the board approves the plans the vote will then come before the council for approval.
Mayor Clendenning addressed that the progress to move the voting location from the church to the community center is still in progress. He will be meeting with the city’s attorney, Gloria Floyd, and Judge Martin to view the proposed location. The church is in support of this move.
The Mayor also noted that there were issues with the GIS mapping system and certain properties were not properly noted to be in the Weaver city area. This will impact the fire tax so there should be drastic changes. This is an ongoing correction and update. These errors were discovered after a business tax issue was discovered having been incorrectly paid to city of Jacksonville instead of Weaver. The two cities are working together to correct the financial matter.
The Mayor also noted what a successful event the band recognition was. He also mentioned the renaming of the road behind the high school to Gene Taylor Drive. He might also like to celebrate the wrestling team’s success at the renaming ceremony as well since coach Taylor was the wrestling coach. This event is not currently scheduled.
The Mayor also encouraged all Weaver residents to watch the wrestling team over the next two weeks as they compete in Birmingham and Huntsville for the state championships.
Mayor Clendenning discussed a grant he is working on for $250,000. This grant would be to resurface 20 roads in Weaver if approved.
The Mayor also discussed a payroll scale adjustment that would bring all employees onto the civil service pay scales. To do this each employee would be placed at the scale that is closest to their current rate of pay without decreasing their pay. This will cost the city a total of $11,000 over the year if implemented. This item is not being voted on tonight and is simply for review.
Shelby Peterson with the East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission presented a portion of the comprehensive plan that has been development. This plan is a long-term study and project to reinvigorate the downtown areas of Weaver. The comprehensive plan will include many more meetings and no action is starting at this time.
All city council members present also took new photos while at the meeting.
City Council Meeting
- Call to Order
- Invocation
- Roll Call
- Councilmember Clint Burns – Present
- Councilmember Tim McRae – Present
- Councilmember Cathy Hamby – Absent
- Mayor Pro Tem Nick Bowles – Present
- Councilmember Terri Summerlin – Present
- Mayor Jeff Clendenning – Present
- Adoption of Agenda – Unanimously Approved
- Adoption of Previous Meetings – Unanimously Approved
- Department Reports
- Public Works Department – Joey Conger
- The limb truck should be operational by next week and the public works department hopes to begin working on addressing work orders that have been requested. The total cost of repairs was roughly $90,000.
- Police Department – Chief Bush – No report
- Code Enforcement/Fire Department – Chief Bunn – No report
- Administrative Department – City Clerk/Treasurer Chasity Whetstone – No report
- Public Works Department – Joey Conger
- Council Reports
- Councilmember Clint Burns – No report
- Councilmember Tim McRae – No report
- Mayor Pro Tem Nick Bowles – No report
- Councilmember Terri Summerlin – No report
- Old Business – None
- New Business
- Pay Scale Adjustment – This was formally entered into the record as a discussion item. No action was taken.
- Mayor’s Report
- The Band signs will be going up in the next couple of weeks.
- The naming of Gene Taylor Drive is in the works and the hope is to have a ceremony with the county commission as well as to honor the wrestling team.
- The Wrestling team will be competing in the state championships over the next two weeks so a request was made to wish them well.
- Progress is being made in formally changing to voting location to the comity center.
- A grant will be submitted by 2/10 to hopefully secure funding for the repaving of up to 20 roads in Weaver.
- Public Comments
- A resident requested an update on a water leak from December that caused a large water bill. The Mayor stated they have reached out to many local municipalities and they have the same policy that Weaver currently has. They will continue to research the matter.
- A resident requested an update on the bathroom project. He was told about the picnic table being damaged, but the restrooms themselves are on track to be completed on schedule. There was also a discussion about expanding WiFi into the park to accommodate more cameras.
- Adjournment – Unanimously Approved
