Moody City Council unanimously approves routine purchases, firefighter hiring incentive and a series of ordinances

Moody City Mayor Joe Lee called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. on Jan. 10, 2022, and the council — with Council Members Linda Crowe, Ellis Key and Matt Morris present and Council Members Lynn Taylor and Nick Rutledge absent — approved the published agenda and the minutes from Dec. 13 and Dec. 21, 2021.

Most business at the 13-minute meeting consisted of routine purchases and formal approvals. Mike Staggs requested and the council approved a $6,500 purchase from Rustic Building Company to build brick knee walls at the Civic Center (Capital Projects 01-526-9900). Staggs also presented a $700 purchase of tires for a city Honda Pilot from Moody Auto Service (Vehicle Maintenance 01-526-4502); both purchases passed on unanimous motions.

Public Works Director Steve Mitchell asked for approval to buy a concrete saw from Argo Power for $1,000 (Public Works Capital 01-515-9900); Council Member Linda Crowe moved to approve and the motion carried unanimously. Thomas Hunt requested authorization to send up to $3,000 from the narcotics budget (513-4300); the council approved the transfer unanimously.

Council Member Linda Crowe proposed purchasing two TruSens air purifiers and two extra HEPA antiviral filters for the Moody Senior Center at a total cost of $860.40, to be refunded from American Rescue Plan Act funds; the purchase was approved unanimously.

On personnel, Resolution R2022-01-10 — presented for Council Member Lynn Taylor by James Hill — authorizes a $2,000 hire incentive for up to five firefighter/paramedics who sign a two-year employment contract. Council Member Linda Crowe moved approval; the council approved the resolution unanimously.

The council also approved Resolution R2022-01-10A, a sign-on to an Endo settlement agreement, on a unanimous roll-call vote.

Several ordinances were considered and adopted. Mayor Lee and James Hill reviewed the proposed sale of the Margaret sewer system; after suspending the rules, the council approved Ordinance M2022-01-10 to effect the sale by unanimous roll-call vote. The council also approved Ordinance M2022-01-01B to donate an approximately 0.01± acre tract off Park Avenue right-of-way to the State of Alabama for the Moody intersection improvements project (Project CMAQ-0025(559)), again suspending the rules before a unanimous roll-call approval.

The council moved to recall Ordinance M2021-08-09A (2012-A Moody 2021 Warrant Ordinance) and approved that recall after a roll-call vote. Council Member Linda Crowe then introduced and the council approved Ordinance M2022-01-10A authorizing issuance of General Obligation Warrants, Series 2022-A; the ordinance passed on unanimous roll-call votes.

Finally, Mike Staggs presented options to either hire a part-time/seasonal concession stand manager for Moody City Park or lease the concession stand to an outside vendor; the minutes record the discussion but do not show a final decision on that item. Mayor Joe Lee moved to close the meeting at 6:13 p.m. The minutes were later approved on Feb. 14, 2022; Tracy L. Patterson attested as city clerk.

Budget lines, costs and contract terms reported in the minutes: Rustic Building Company $6,500 (Capital Projects 01-526-9900); Moody Auto Service $700 (01-526-4502); Argo Power $1,000 (01-515-9900); narcotics budget authorization up to $3,000 (513-4300); Moody Senior Center equipment $860.40 (ARPA-refunded); firefighter hire incentive $2,000 per hire for up to five hires with a required two-year employment contract. No dissenting votes were recorded; the minutes show all recorded motions carried by unanimous AYE votes.