Madison City Council Regular Meeting - May 11, 2026

The City Council of Madison, Alabama, held its regular meeting on May 11, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The meeting included personnel awards, a presentation on child advocacy, public comments on short-term rentals, adoption of the mid-year budget, and the unanimous approval of various service agreements and land use items.

Presentations and Awards

• Debbie Overcash of the Madison Rotary Club presented the 2026 Employee of the Year (Chris Holmes), Firefighter of the Year (Tyler Drew), and Police Officer of the Year (Teresa Taylor Duncan) awards.
• Mayor Bartlett proclaimed May 2026 as Building Safety Month, presented to Building Director Kipp Richerzhagen.
• Certificates were presented to Madison City Schools students for their state NASP archery tournament wins.
• Chris Newlin, Executive Director of the National Children's Advocacy Center (NCAC), presented on the center's work. He described child abuse prevention as affecting human rights, economic development, public health, and government efficiency. He noted that 9% of Medicaid costs are linked to child abuse and that victims face lower lifelong earnings. He thanked the city for its continued support.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Dustin Shelton (District 5): Expressed support for allowing short-term rentals (STRs) in single-family residential districts. He argued that resident activities are often more noticeable than STRs and that individually owned STRs provide better accommodations than those run by out-of-state corporate owners.
• Mary Howard (20-year Madison resident): Described her five years operating a successful STR on Cottonwood Trail. She supports city regulation of STRs and argued that if long-term rentals are permitted in single-family zones, short-term rentals should be as well. She cited positive neighborhood impacts including increased property maintenance by neighbors.

Consent Calendar

The council unanimously accepted a $0.02 donation from PropertyRoom.com for the Police Department, two AMIC deductible recoveries ($1,000 and $954.10), and a $101,701.28 TVA rebate for the Palmer Park LED lighting project.

Discussion Items

• Mayor's Report: Mayor Bartlett reported on her attendance at the ALM/Big Ten Mayors meeting, voicing support for Amendment One (extending Anaya's law to allow judges to deny bail to violent offenders). She provided a Redstone Arsenal update, noting 46,000 daily workers and key community needs (schools, daycare, lodging, roads).
• Council Reports: Councilmembers provided district updates, including an upcoming downtown block party (Councilmember Goodson), National Small Business Week (Councilmember Lessmann), and a choir camp (Councilmember Jackson).
• Mid-Year Budget Review: Finance Director David Lolling presented the mid-year budget.
  • General fund revenue was projected at $61.5M (a $5.1M increase), with appropriations at $74.2M (a $5.3M increase). The planned fund balance draw improved by $1.8M to $12.6M.
  • The projected ending fund balance is $9.27M, just above the mandatory minimum 15% reserve requirement of $9.23M. The balance drop was attributed to a beginning fund balance $6.4M lower than budgeted.
  • Key adjustments included a $715,000 increase for insurance, a $795,418 transfer for an omitted debt note, and a $2.3M transfer from the bond obligation fund to satisfy reserve requirements. The trash program is expected to lose $260,000 this year compared to a budgeted profit of $730,000.
  • Special revenue fund adjustments included $582,000 for road paving and $2.3M added to the Multi-Use Venue budget (now $12.5M). Councilmember Beer commended the finance team for the detailed review.

Key Outcomes

All votes on resolutions and ordinances were unanimous.

• Adopted the Mid-Year Budget, including all fund transfers and appropriations.
• Approved the Continued Levy of Ad Valorem Taxes at existing rates (Resolution 2026-150-R).
• Authorized Service Agreements and Grants:
  • Professional services with S&ME for the Storm Water Management Plan ($32,900).
  • Application for a TAP grant for a Hughes Road sidewalk ($206,343.75 city match).
  • Contract with Site Med North America for firefighter physicals ($53,500).
  • MOU with Crisis Services of North Alabama for domestic violence and sexual assault victim services.
  • Agreement with Dioyca Caraballo for yoga and art therapy instruction.
• Approved Land Use Actions:
  • Conveyed an ingress/egress easement to a landlocked property owner via Madison Utilities (Ordinance 2026-165).
  • Vacated a utility/drainage easement at 109 Hanson Place (Ordinance 2026-162).
  • Set a public hearing for June 22, 2026, on zoning for 35.6 acres west of Hardiman Road (staff and planning commission recommended against the request).
  • Set a public hearing for June 22, 2026, on a comprehensive zoning ordinance update.
• Held First Readings on ordinances for: the annexation of 35.6 acres, the vacation of an easement at 131 W Dublin Drive, and an increase to the weed abatement administrative fee (from $247.00 to $361.74).

Announcements

• A council work session on roads and infrastructure was scheduled for May 20 at 5:30 PM.
• The next regular council meeting was rescheduled to the Tuesday following the Memorial Day holiday.