Residents allege mailing errors, accuse former manager; commissioners press for better notice

During the citizens forum at the Jan. 28, 2026 Opelika City Commission meeting, resident Ryan Dennis said notices for a developer meeting at the Heller Miller Center contained errors, including names of deceased people and addresses for nonresidents. Dennis said the timing and attendee list suggested improper coordination and described the meeting as "an invitation that was not an invitation." He also referenced a separate court matter saying "it's blood on people hands."

City staff responded that the developer handled the mailings and provided a list of recipients. The city attorney said the law requires notice but does not prescribe the exact mailing procedure; staff told the commission they had emailed the developer urging better notice for the upcoming community meeting and that the developer had reserved the facility for another meeting on Feb. 3. Mayor Taylor asked the city manager to follow up and the manager said she would meet about the issue.

The public comments prompted a heated exchange over past municipal management. Commissioner Irvin criticized an individual named Darvin Williams, saying Williams did not "save the day" on a previously cited contract and cited a figure of "$571,212.54" when disputing prior claims about Williams' performance. Irvin said the city had suffered turmoil and that many officials had been affected; other commissioners expressed support for the current city manager and stated they would not consider bringing Williams back.

Angelina Roberts told the commission that staff were overworked because of frequent city events and urged the commission to address workload and scheduling; she also raised concerns about appearances of multiple city accounts tied to one person. Another speaker, Joe Dominguez, praised recent city projects and asked code enforcement or police to address a tow truck repeatedly blocking Alibaba Avenue near 22nd Avenue.

City staff characterized the notice problem as a developer responsibility but said they had taken steps to press the developer to improve outreach. The commission discussed whether the city's 500-foot notification radius for projects was satisfied in this case and asked staff to confirm statutory requirements and the developer's compliance. The meeting record shows staff will follow up; no formal disciplinary or legal action was taken during the session.