Pelham City Council: unanimous moratorium on hemp/vape shops; liquor license, annexation and garbage rate approved

The Pelham City Council voted unanimously July 21 on a slate of items including a temporary moratorium on new businesses defined under the city's zoning code as CBD and vape shops, a retail liquor license for Waldo's Chicken and Beer, consent to a neighboring annexation, a memorandum of understanding with the Pelham Commercial Development Authority about an ALDOT permit, and the annual garbage rate increase tied to the Cahaba Solid Waste Authority contract.

City staff framed the moratorium as a temporary measure to allow the city to observe recently passed state legislation and adjust local ordinances and licensing. "We wanted to give some time for things to play out and observe and to see if we needed to adjust any of our ordinances or licensing regulations," staff member Justin said, explaining the proposed expiration date of Dec. 31, 2026. Resident Christine Carr told the council she supported the moratorium as "the first step in a positive journey to rid Pelham of substances that have caused too many problems for our children and families."

The council approved the moratorium by voice vote; the meeting record indicates the vote was unanimous among the…