City of Madison, Alabama City Council Regular Meeting – February 9, 2026

The Madison, Alabama City Council held its regular meeting on Monday, February 9, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers. All seven councilmembers were present and a quorum was established. The council approved the revised agenda and consent calendar, adopted the Costco B3 zoning ordinance after a public hearing, acted on department resolutions, and requested executive session to discuss pending litigation. Note: The agenda had listed Pastor Spencer Beach for the invocation, but the transcript indicates Councilmember Goodson led the invocation.

Agenda Amendments

• Staff announced that the revised agenda (Agenda No. 2026-03-RG) had been published earlier in the afternoon. Changes included: changing the funding source for the City Hall Renovations architect agreement (Resolution 2026-072-R) to Fund 38; removing a recreation instructor item the transcript describes as a Pilates/Stretch agreement at the instructor's request; and adding a first reading of Ordinance No. 2026-077 under Human Resources to amend unclassified service employee positions.
• Discrepancy note: The provided revised agenda lists the Shana Howard youth PE agreement as Recreation item C, but the transcript describes the removed recreation item C as a Pilates/Stretch agreement; the Shana Howard item was later approved as Resolution 2026-065-R.

Consent Calendar and Finance Committee Report

• Councilmember Bier presented the Finance Committee report, noting review of the consent agenda, general fund and Fund 38 expenditures, and sales tax data.
• The following items were approved unanimously:
  • FY26 appropriations: Madison Arts Alliance ($5,000), Enable Madison County ($5,000), Riley Center ($7,500), Legacy Center ($10,000), and Getting Real About Mental Illness ($2,500).
  • Disposal of certain Municipal Court records under the Alabama Unified Records Retention Schedule.
  • Termination of the Public Restroom Company agreement for the Sunshine Oaks Park restroom building ($274,843 contract; $8,245.29 termination payment from Special Projects Park and Rec account).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Margie Daly, of Council District 6, said the agenda and packet had not been posted 24 hours before the meeting and asserted this violated the Open Public Meetings Act; she said she had to call City Hall to make staff aware. She criticized the consent appropriations for advancing without finance committee review, said the old agenda and minutes showed Huntsville Madison despite a prior explanation about chamber appropriations, and asked whether the 3% sales tax she said was directed to Mr. Breland from Costco for 40 years was being approved that night and whether a public meeting would be held on it. She also mentioned a street light for Breland.
• No other public comments were made.

Presentations and Reports

• Mayor Bartlett thanked State Senator Arthur Orr for sponsoring the All Girls State Chess Championship hosted in Madison; Bob Jones High School won the K-12 team title and produced the first-place individual finisher, a freshman who will represent Alabama at the National Girls Tournament of Champions. She noted Friday would mark the council's 100th day in office.
• Councilmember Bier reported on a Rotary of Madison mission trip to Honduras providing vision care and described lessons about infrastructure and basic services.
• Councilmember Goodson reported ribbon cuttings for the public safety annex/fire station #4 and Escapology in Town Madison, and expressed condolences for retired Madison Fire Department driver Marty Pitts.
• Councilmember McKay announced quarterly office hours on March 4, 4:00-5:00 PM at City Hall.
• Councilmember Lessmann announced upcoming Madison Chamber events, including Best in Business nominations, Business over Breakfast featuring Major General Laurie Robinson, Coffee and Commerce, and the Heartbeat of Health Care panel; she also noted the Madison in Focus Photo Contest's second quarter.
• Councilmember White highlighted the new Core South Lagree fitness business on Hughes Road.
• Councilmember Jackson encouraged participation in the Beautification and Tree Board and noted the Civic Awareness Academy application deadline.
• Council President Wroblewski reported attending the Cooper's Hawk restaurant opening, promoted the Friends of the Library meeting, and mentioned monthly tours of the new Mill Creek Preserve and Greenway.

Public Hearing

• Ordinance No. 2026-032: Staff presented the request to zone the Costco Wholesale Corporation property at 8094 Highway 72 W, approximately 23.69 acres, to B3 (General Business) upon annexation. The annexation was previously acted on and becomes effective later in February. The property includes Costco and an associated fuel station. The Planning Commission and staff recommended approval, and no concerns were raised at the Planning Commission public hearing. No speakers appeared at the council public hearing. The ordinance was approved unanimously.

Department Reports and Discussion Items

• Building: Resolution 2026-058-R, purchase of a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab 4WD from McSweeney Auto Group for $51,572.02 under State Bid Contract, was approved unanimously.
• Engineering: Resolution 2026-044-R, a two-year aerial and satellite imagery and basemap sharing MOU with Huntsville Utilities, the City of Huntsville, and Madison County, with costs shared equally, was approved unanimously.
• Engineering: Resolution 2026-051-R, ALDOT maintenance agreement amendment for the Highway 72/Jack Clift Boulevard signal, prompted extended discussion. The project would remove some through movements between the Target center and Cliff Farm, reallocate signal time to Highway 72, and add signage and striping. A transportation consultant reported Saturday peak delays would fall from about 128 seconds to 61 seconds for vehicles exiting Target and from about 35 to 20 seconds per vehicle on Highway 72. Councilmembers questioned potential backups at the shopping center turn lane, downstream diversion, sight lines, and the need for public education; the city engineer supported the change as a global improvement to Highway 72. The resolution passed 5-2, with Councilmembers Goodson and White dissenting.
• Facilities: Resolution 2026-072-R, a percentage-based AIA agreement with Goodwyn Mills Cawood, LLC for City Hall renovations in the amount of approximately $150,000 from Fund 38, was approved unanimously. Staff confirmed the total City Hall renovation project budget is approximately $1.7 million.
• Human Resources: Ordinance 2026-077, first reading to amend Personnel Policy 3, was presented. It would clarify the Aide to the Mayor position and add the Director of Operations and Communications to the classified/general employee plan. It will return on February 23.
• Legal: Ordinance 2026-054, authorizing a joint light-duty vehicle purchase agreement with the City of Huntsville for purchases from Woody Anderson Ford and Donohoo Chevrolet, was approved unanimously.
• Planning: Resolution 2026-045-R, setting a March 23, 2026 public hearing for rezoning 261 Hughes Road (1.4 acres) from R-1B to B2, was approved unanimously. A vacant two-story house currently occupies the site, with a proposed commercial center to replace it.
• Planning: Resolution 2026-060-R, a permissive use agreement for Town Madison signage and landscaping in the Intergraph Way/Lime Quarry Road/Graphics Drive roundabout, was approved unanimously. The Planning Commission had previously approved the sign plan amendment, the city would bear no cost, and the agreement allows removal if needed. Councilmembers asked about sight lines; staff said no specific sight-line study had been done, but the open-letter design would limit obstruction.
• Planning: Resolution 2026-061-R, a three-year $45,000/year professional services agreement with NextSite, LLC for retail consulting, was approved unanimously. Staff noted a similar pre-COVID agreement from 2018 and described prior leads and assistance in recruiting Costco and BJs.
• Public Works: Resolution 2026-062-R, a one-year professional contractor services agreement with Mike Gentle not to exceed $39,000, was approved unanimously.
• Recreation: Resolutions 2026-056-R (Ford F-350 purchase, $45,486.72), 2026-063-R (Jennifer Besaw adaptive dance instructor agreement at no cost), 2026-065-R (Shana Howard/All Around Athlete youth physical education at no cost), and 2026-066-R (Pyro Shows fireworks for Independence Day, $18,400) were each approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the minutes of January 29, 2026.
• Approved the consent agenda and Finance Committee report.
• Adopted Ordinance 2026-032 zoning the Costco property to B3 upon annexation.
• Approved the other listed resolutions as noted above, including the Highway 72 signal modification by a 5-2 vote.
• Took first reading of Ordinance 2026-077, with action expected February 23.
• Announced the next work session for February 25, 2026.
• Requested executive session at the city attorney's request under Alabama Code Section 36-25A-7(a)(3) to discuss pending litigation.