Spanish Fort council approves multiple contracts and a land purchase; schedules public hearings on two zoning items

The Spanish Fort City Council on Jan. 27, 2025 adopted several resolutions to award contracts, approved a $525,000 property purchase and approved a conceptual master plan for Honor Park, while scheduling public hearings on two zoning measures for Feb. 17, 2025.

The actions affect city facilities, parks and development in Spanish Fort and were approved by roll call votes during the meeting. The council also approved an agreement with The Haven, Inc., to assist in caring for and adopting out stray animals taken into the city’s custody.

The council approved resolutions awarding bids for municipal projects. Staff identified Asphalt Services Inc. as the lowest responsive bidder for the Spanish Fort Community Center parking lot repaving project; the meeting record did not provide a clear, unambiguous final dollar figure for the bid in the transcript. TechLinks Inc., doing business as CeaseFire, was identified as the lowest responsive bidder for a new voice-over-Internet-protocol telephone system; staff said the monthly payment under that contract would be $1,880.18 in addition to startup and installation costs. The council also awarded the bid for the Spanish Fort Town Center pickleball complex to Harris Contracting Services Inc., doing business as Harris General Contractors, for a bid amount recorded in the meeting as $693,000.

Staff told the council the pickleball complex would typically include a 30-day mobilization period and an approximately 120-day build-out after mobilization. “You usually have a 30 day mobilization period. . . I believe the build out for the complex is a 120 days,” Staff member Connor said during the discussion.

The council approved a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter a contract with United Bank to purchase Lot 2 Battles in subdivision — a parcel described as just across the street from the community center and north of Spirit Park — for $525,000, subject to council approval and usual due diligence provisions. A representative from United Bank, Greg Walker, was present at the meeting.

The council also adopted a resolution authorizing an agreement with The Haven, Inc., to assist with care and adoption of stray animals taken by the city. When asked how long an animal must be held before The Haven is contacted, staff cited the city’s animal-control ordinance and said animals are required to be held at least seven days but may be held longer or shorter depending on the animal’s health and circumstances. “Under the animal-control ordinance, we’re required to hold dogs at least 7 days and try and give them time to locate [owners],” Staff member Connor said.

Council members adopted the conceptual Honor Park master plan, prepared by Thompson Engineering with public input; staff said more detailed planning and final design work would follow and that state grant funding from the governor helped to acquire the property and to start development, with no city general-fund dollars used to date for the acquisition.

The council set public hearings for 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17, 2025 on two zoning items: an ordinance that would amend ordinance No. 5196 to add Section 7.13 setting restrictions on storage-shed sales and displays, and a separate ordinance to rezone a property addressed as 10284 U.S. Highway 31 from R-1 to B-1 at the owner’s request to allow a bank to operate on the site. Staff described the proposed storage-shed provisions as limiting the use to lots of at least a half-acre, allowing up to 16 display sheds depending on lot size, requiring on-site loading/unloading space, prohibiting assembly or manufacture on-site, and adding standards for street frontage, curb cuts, screening, exterior lighting and signage. Staff member Connor said the amendment would add a “storage sheds and display storage sheds and models” line to the table of permitted uses and that the use would require planning commission approval in certain zoning districts.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 1475-2025 (agreement with The Haven, Inc. for stray-animal care and adoption): Adopted. Roll-call votes recorded in the meeting: Council member Smith — yes; Council member Gustafson — yes; Council member Perry — yes; Council member Wynne — yes; Council member Brabner — yes; Mayor — yes.

- Resolution 1476-2025 (award of bid for Spanish Fort Community Center parking lot repaving to Asphalt Services Inc.): Adopted. Vote recorded as unanimous by roll call. The meeting transcript’s bid total was not presented clearly in the audio record.

- Resolution 1477-2025 (award of bid for VoIP telephone system to TechLinks Inc. d/b/a CeaseFire): Adopted. Roll-call recorded as unanimous. Staff stated a monthly payment of $1,880.18 plus startup and installation costs.

- Resolution 1478-2025 (award of bid for Spanish Fort Town Center pickleball complex to Harris Contracting Services Inc. d/b/a Harris General Contractors): Adopted. Recorded bid amount: $693,000.

- Resolution 1479-2025 (authorize mayor to enter agreement to purchase Lot 2 Battles from United Bank): Adopted. Purchase price stated as $525,000; approval subject to due diligence.

- Resolution 1480-25 (conceptual Honor Park master plan): Adopted subject to any future amendments or changes deemed necessary as design and planning proceed.

Zoning items presented for public hearing Feb. 17, 2025

- Ordinance amending ordinance No. 5196 to add Section 7.13 (storage-shed sales and displays): Staff described minimum lot sizes, limits on the number of display units, restrictions on manufacture/assembly on-site and screening and lighting requirements; public hearing scheduled Feb. 17, 2025.

- Ordinance rezoning 10284 U.S. Highway 31 from R-1 to B-1 to allow construction and operation of a bank: Planning commission had forwarded a positive recommendation after its Jan. 13 public hearing; council public hearing scheduled Feb. 17, 2025.

What the meeting did not decide

The council did not take final action on the two zoning ordinances at the Jan. 27 meeting; both were scheduled for public hearings at the Feb. 17 meeting. The transcript did not provide clear numeric detail for the final total of the parking-lot bid; the meeting record’s dollar-figure language for that item was garbled and is reported as not specified in this article.

Next steps and public comment

Staff and council members said additional design and procurement steps will follow for the awarded projects; the council invited public comment at the Feb. 17 hearings for the two zoning items, where members of the public can speak for or against the proposals.