A Tuscaloosa City committee voted to raise sidewalk-café fees, approving a proposal to set the fee at $1.75 for establishments that serve alcohol and $1.25 for coffee-only vendors and to tie future increases to the consumer price index.

“...the what I'm proposing...is to go to, $1.75 for those with that serve alcohol...and going to 1 and a quarter for those who's just selling coffee,” said Unidentified Speaker 3, the committee member who presented the fee proposal, and added that at least three members agreed revenue should support downtown lighting in the general fund.

The committee moved and approved the proposal by voice vote; the meeting record shows only an audible “Aye” and no roll-call tally was provided. Staff told the committee that the version of the item published for tonight’s council meeting contained slightly different figures and that staff would prepare a substitute to replace the published document with the figures the committee approved.

Committee members asked for a procedural clarification and staff confirmed the change would be handled by filing a substitute rather than voting down the published item.

What happens next: staff will prepare the substitute that matches the committee vote before the item goes to the full council. The published agenda item will be replaced with the committee’s approved figures.