Irondale council approves consent agenda: construction testing contract, tourism grant, service agreements and abatement at Saddlebrook property

The Irondale City Council unanimously approved its consent agenda and additional items Tuesday, authorizing contracts, grants and service agreements and ordering abatement of an overgrown property at 3316 Saddlebrook Circle after a public hearing.

Items approved on the consent agenda included: - A resolution ratifying an agreement with a materials-testing firm for the Irondale Civic Center renovation (resolution number read in the meeting as 20 25 r 1 46 a). The council discussed recently negotiated changes that staff said were “in the city’s favor”; Councilwoman McGuire requested the redlined contract be distributed for the record. - Acceptance of a $7,800 grant from the Alabama Tourism Department to assist the Irondale Music Festival (Resolution 20 25 r 1 52). - A service agreement permitting Heidi’s Kids to use a portion of a city building for storage for its annual Christmas toy drive from December 2025 through 12/19/2025 (Resolution 20 25 r 1 53). - A county contract to provide standby emergency medical services at Shades Valley High School football games (Resolution 20 25 r 1 54); staff said the contract is the standard Jefferson County template and amounts were updated to reflect recent adjustments. - Allocation of $10,000 from the mayor’s FY24-25 discretionary fund to Shades Valley High School football (Resolution 20 25 r 1 55); Mayor James D. Stewart Jr. said the funds will be used for equipment. - A $700 service agreement with the Marsha Kelly Sutton Foundation to promote education in the city (Resolution 20 25 r 1 56), funded from Councilman John London’s discretionary account; council asked staff to provide the foundation’s financial statement, which staff said would be supplied.

A public hearing was held and the council declared weeds, overgrowth and noxious vegetation at 3316 Saddlebrook Circle a public nuisance and ordered abatement (Resolution 20 25 r 1 58). Neighbor Mark Ligore told the council the condition had persisted “for over a year and a half” and described repeated complaints to city staff; no speakers opposed the abatement during the hearing. The council approved the abatement by voice vote.

All consent items and the abatement resolution were approved by voice vote with no recorded no votes in the meeting minutes; several councilmembers and staff described the items as routine or housekeeping. Councilmembers asked that redlined contract changes for the Civic Center testing agreement be sent to the council for the record and that the Marsha Kelly Sutton Foundation provide the requested financial statement before final file completion.