Gadsden City Council approves street design amendment, athletic center consultant contract, airport authority appointment and historic board reappointments

The Gadsden City Council adopted several resolutions and appointments during its meeting.

Key outcomes

- The council adopted a resolution authorizing Amendment No. 4 to the agreement with 3 Notch Group for design services related to the partial realignment and resurfacing of South Eleventh Street. Council members voted to suspend the rules to consider the item under new business and then voted to adopt the resolution. No dollar amount was stated in the motion; the item was described as covering new state environmental and road-surface requirements to keep the project moving.

- The council adopted a resolution authorizing an agreement with Sports Facilities Development LLC to provide consulting, design and procurement assistance for the new Gadsden Athletic Center. The agenda materials and discussion recorded a budgeted total of $485,000 for the project; the agreement amount was described in the meeting as $450,000 with up to $35,000 in reimbursable expenses if they occur. During discussion a staff member noted a typo in the draft resolution (it said "Gaston Athletic Center"). Staff asked that the resolution text be corrected to read the city program name. The presenter said the city expects the consultant work to produce procurement savings (the presenter characterized anticipated savings at about $3,640,000) and said the fee is intended to guide equipment purchasing and design decisions.

- The council adopted a resolution appointing Tina Gregersen to the Gadsden Airport Authority for a term expiring July 31, 2031. The motion to adopt carried on a voice vote.

- The council adopted a resolution reappointing Grover Kitchens and Tyler Harrell to the Historic Preservation Board for terms expiring Sept. 11, 2027, and reappointing Catherine Anderson and Dr. Sabrina Morgan for terms expiring Sept. 11, 2028. A council member briefly commented on the coincidence of the expiration dates; the motion carried on a voice vote.

Votes and procedure

Most items were considered under unanimous voice votes recorded as "Aye" with the chair stating the motion carries. The council voted to suspend the rules to consider both design/contract items under new business before adopting them.

Context and next steps

City staff presented the street‑realignment amendment as necessary to satisfy additional state environmental and roadway requirements; no funding appropriation was enacted during the meeting, and the council did not request further public hearings at this session. For the Gadsden Athletic Center consulting agreement, staff said the consultant will assist with equipment selection and procurement; the presenter characterized the engagement as a fee-for-service agreement intended to yield larger procurement savings in later construction and outfitting phases. Council members did not engage in extended debate on any of these items during this meeting.

The meeting also included routine council business: approval of minutes, ratification of weekly payments and recess for a work session. No ordinances received first or second reading at this session.