Council approves Tiger Drive closure for Dixieland Band Festival; considers memorial walk, engineering agreement and library appointment

The City Council approved a temporary closure of Tiger Drive for the annual Dixieland Marching Band Contest, scheduled for Oct. 25, 2025, while also taking up a memorial walk planned for Sept. 27, 2025, a proposed engineering agreement tied to a SEEDS grant and a library board appointment.

Bridal Hornneck, the band director, told the council the marching-band contest draws "from 3 to 4,000 people in the city that day" and that closing Tiger Drive is "an essential safety issue" so students can cross safely from the parking area behind Farmer's Furniture to the stadium. Hornneck said volunteers and donated golf carts help move elderly attendees from the parking area because routine traffic flow would otherwise bring vehicles near large groups of students and spectators. Mayor moved to approve the closure for Oct. 25; the council later announced, "The closure is approved." The city will provide barricades and other traffic control resources to mark and secure the closed area.

City Clerk (name not specified) briefed the council on a new event called "Walk with Sybil" (presented in the meeting as "Walk with Civil"/"Walk with Sipple"), described as a memorial walk in memory of Dr. Leah D. Grundage set for Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. The clerk said registration that day will begin at 7 a.m. at the DHR parking lot near 326 Evergreen Avenue and the walk will start at 8 a.m. The clerk also said there is a $25 registration fee (referred to in the meeting as an "injury fee") and that Chief Jordan has been notified and the police department "will be able to accommodate this event." A councilor moved and a second was recorded to approve the walk; the transcript does not record a formal vote outcome.

The council then took up a resolution to approve an agreement with Southern Engineering to provide engineering services related to a SEEDS grant. A motion to approve Resolution 25-0825-1 was made by Councilor Brown and seconded by Councilor Barton. During discussion a city staff member stated the grant amount was $54,961 and that Southern Engineering's fee for the services would be $82,400. The transcript records the grant amount and the engineering cost but does not record a final vote or outcome on the resolution in the provided excerpt.

Finally, the council addressed an appointment to the Bruton Public Library board. Councilor Brown said Councilor Broughton and Brown had contacted the prospective appointee, "Miss Avant," and that she had requested to remain on the school board; Brown said that "that will be our choice." The transcript excerpt does not include a formal motion or recorded vote on the library-board appointment.

Other routine business on the agenda included a motion to approve the council's Aug. 11, 2025, regular meeting minutes; the transcript records a motion and second to approve those minutes but does not include a recorded vote in the provided excerpt.

Votes at a glance - Tiger Drive closure for Dixieland Marching Band Contest (Oct. 25, 2025): motion made by Mayor; outcome recorded in transcript as approved. Vote tally not provided. - Walk with Sybil memorial walk (Sept. 27, 2025): motion and second recorded; vote outcome not specified in transcript. - Resolution 25-0825-1 (agreement with Southern Engineering for SEEDS grant): motion by Councilor Brown, second by Councilor Barton; vote outcome not specified in transcript. Grant amount stated as $54,961; engineering fee stated as $82,400. - Bruton Public Library board appointment (Miss Avant): discussion recorded that Miss Avant requested to remain on the school board and that was the councilors' stated choice; no formal motion or vote recorded in the excerpt.

The council noted the city's continuing role in providing barricades and traffic-control resources for large public events. Several items in this excerpt show motions and seconds but lack recorded final vote tallies in the supplied transcript segment.