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Record of Proceedings

Madison City Council Meeting - July 13, 2026: Public Art, Police Awards, and Zoning Actions

City Council — Monday, July 13, 2026
BodyMadison, Alabama
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, July 13, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:13:51

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

14:40

Testing test there we go.

14:42

Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the July thirteenth, Madison City Council meeting.

14:46

At this time, I would like to invite my friend Reverend Glenn Bowers from Trinity Baptist Church to come and please lead us in the invitation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, please stand.

Unassigned speaker

15:00

Let's pray.

Speaker 2

15:02

Dear God, we are thankful for our community.

15:06

May your spirit guide these leaders and these concerned citizens to work together to improve the lives of our neighbors.

15:14

Grant us clear minds and pure motives to embrace decisions that promote dignity and respect for everyone.

15:24

Help us to focus on putting others' needs first.

15:40

We pray this in your name.

15:42

Amen.

Speaker 1

15:42

Amen.

15:43

Thank you, Brother Glenn.

15:44

Please join me in the Pledge of

Speaker 3

15:45

Allegiance.

15:46

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic.

Speaker 1

16:01

Thank you.

16:02

You may be seated.

16:03

May I have the roll call, please?

Speaker 4

16:08

Council President Robleski.

16:10

Here.

16:12

Mayor Bartlett.

16:13

Here.

16:15

Councilmember Beer.

Speaker 5

16:16

Here.

Speaker 4

16:17

Councilmember Gitson.

16:18

Here.

16:18

Councilmember McKay.

16:20

Here.

16:20

Councilmember Lesman.

16:21

Here.

16:22

Councilmember White.

16:23

Here.

16:23

Council Member Jackson.

16:24

Here.

16:25

Thank you.

16:25

We have a quorum.

Speaker 1

16:27

Are there any amendments to the agenda?

Speaker 6

16:29

There is one amendment to the agenda this evening, and that is to postpone the consideration of the minutes to the next meeting.

16:36

That's item 6A to give a little bit more time to solidify those minutes.

Speaker 1

16:40

Thank you very much.

16:41

We have three presentations tonight, and at this time I would like to invite Mark Jacobson and Gerald Smith, and I believe Christina Hearn, or maybe it's just Mark.

16:51

Is it just Mark?

Unassigned speaker

16:52

I'm going to start.

Speaker 1

16:53

You're going to start.

16:53

Okay.

16:54

Welcome.

Speaker 7

16:56

Mayor Council, good evening.

Unassigned speaker

16:59

I'd

Speaker 7

17:00

first like to say before I kick off my presentation that I'm super pleased to see the cooperative spirit that's been displayed up on the Dais.

17:10

And that was a great article, great spread in Madison Living.

17:14

So congrats.

Speaker 1

17:15

Thank

Unassigned speaker

17:16

you.

Speaker 7

17:17

As a member of the Board of Directors of Madison Visionary Partners, I'm here to share a project with you that is the result of a joint effort involving the Chamber of Commerce, the City of Madison, and MBP.

17:30

We are seeking your approval for the installation of the Madison Letters Public Art Project on City Owned Property in Town Madison.

17:38

And later in the agenda, I believe you're going to have an acceptance of donations and approval of contract that are related to this.

17:48

So I've got the clicker.

17:52

Okay.

Unassigned speaker

17:54

So

Speaker 7

17:54

I've wanted to see Madison create something like this since when I was city administrator about seven years ago.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety████████████████████████24%
Procedural█████████████████17%
Arts And Culture█████████████████17%
Public Engagement████████████████16%
Personnel Matters████████████12%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████10%
Budget Equity Analysis██2%
Technology and Innovation██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Madison City Council Meeting - July 13, 2026

The Madison City Council met on July 13, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The meeting opened with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by roll call confirming a quorum. Council heard presentations on a public art project and police life-saving awards, received public comments, approved a consent agenda, and passed multiple resolutions and ordinances including zoning changes, liquor license approval, and personnel moves.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved utility expense sharing agreement update with Intergraft Properties, including Resident Evil Federal Credit Union.
  • Approved two document destruction items per record retention policy.
  • Accepted award from Toyota Foundation (~$8,000) for the 2026 Mayor’s Youth Council.
  • Approved insurance settlement of $6,100 (minus deductible) for a police vehicle damaged by a deer.
  • Accepted $383 donation from cruise profits.
  • Accepted donations: $20,000 and $25,000 from Tom Butler (for America 250 project and fire department), $10,000 from Arthur Orr (America 250 project), and $27,000 from Madison Visionary Partners (MVP) for the America 250 project.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Carolyn Wathan (District 4, Millstone, President of Madison Swimming Association, parent of James Clemens swim team athletes) spoke in favor of repairing the bubble over the Dublin Park outdoor pool. She argued that without it, the city loses use of half the facility in winter, reducing access for swim lessons, fitness, and student athletes. She noted the pool serves thousands of residents and expressed support for a future indoor aquatic facility mentioned in long-term planning. She thanked Councilman McKay for discussing concerns.

Presentations & Reports

  • Madison Letters Public Art Project (Mark Jacobson, MVP Board; Gerald Smith): Proposed a 6.5-foot-tall, 30-foot-wide fiberglass/steel Madison letter sculpture on city-owned property in Town Madison near Toyota Field. The project cost is approximately $125,000, fully funded through private donations (including from State Representatives and Senators, TVA). The goal is to create a landmark for America’s 250th anniversary, increase foot traffic, and provide community art opportunities. The council later approved a contract for fabrication and installation not to exceed $86,750.
  • Police Life Saving Awards (Chief Candy): Presented the Public Safety Medal to officers with 20+ years of service: Assistant Chief Mike Allen, Captain John Stout, Sergeant Stephen Reeves, and Dispatch Supervisor Angela Sharp. Also awarded Life Saving Medals to:
    • Officers Jonathan Siskoff, Tim Portick, and Andrew Slaughter for saving a fentanyl overdose victim on May 29, 2022.
    • Officers Kramer and Brakes for applying a tourniquet to a 17-year-old shooting victim on September 6, 2024; the tourniquet was applied in under one minute and the ER physician confirmed it saved the victim’s life.
    • Officer Niles for reviving an overdose victim on May 18, 2025, using Narcan and rescue breaths.
  • Mayor Bartlett’s Report: Thanked departments for America’s 250th celebration events, noted a police ride-along, SEC visit for softball tournament planning, and attendance at Limestone County State of the County.
  • Councilmember Reports: Various district updates including upcoming events (Third Thursday, Battle of the Burger, sales tax holiday, Miracle League fundraisers, library board meeting, new animal shelter ribbon cutting), and praise for police CALEA accreditation with full compliance.

Discussion Items

  • Proposed Ordinance 2026-203 (Zoning): Public hearing to zone 1.54 acres at 167 Brentwood Lane as R1A. No opposition; planning commission supported. Approved unanimously.
  • Restaurant Retail Liquor License (Viva Tequila): Public hearing for license at 12090 County Line Road; all documentation in order. Approved unanimously.
  • Resolution 2026-241R (Clerk’s Office): Acceptance of quote from Civic Plus for agenda management software conversion/implementation ($8,000 initial, $12,000 annual recurring). Approved.
  • Resolution 2026-231R (Engineering): Construction agreement with ALDOT for pedestrian intersection improvements on Town Madison Boulevard at I-565 ramps. Approved.
  • Resolution 2026-240R (Engineering): Authorization for Norfolk Southern to review plans for Town Madison Greenway extension (up to $25,000 from engineering budget). Approved.
  • Resolution 2026-251R (Smith): Contract with Jay Hendrix Design LLC for fabrication/installation of America 250 Madison sculpture (not to exceed $86,750 from Madison Letters Account). Approved.
  • Resolutions 2026-242R, 243R, 244R (HR): Moved administrative plan bid coordinator to legal department, economic development coordinator to mayor’s office with grade increase, and added executive assistant to planning department. All approved.
  • Proposed Ordinance 2026-217 (IT): Addition of Chapter 15 (Computer and AI Use Policies) to personnel policies; second reading. Approved.
  • Resolution 2026-246R (IT): Contract with CTIS for IP camera installation at municipal complex ($29,845 from IT budget). Approved.
  • Resolution 2026-252R (Legal): Agreement with Deckard Technologies for short-term rental monitoring and online complaint form service ($8,000/year from building department maintenance account). Councilmember White recused. Approved.
  • Proposed Ordinance 2026-204 (Planning): Annexation of 1.54 acres at 167 Brentwood Lane. Approved.
  • Proposed Ordinance 2026-237 (First Reading): Annexation of 11356 Cardinal Drive; public hearing set for August 24, 2026.
  • Resolution 2026-235R: Set public hearing for zoning the same property as R1A on August 24, 2026. Approved.
  • Proposed Ordinance 2026-255 (First Reading): Request to vacate utility/drainage easement on industrial property at Royal and Westchester; to return at next meeting.
  • Proposed Ordinance 2026-250 (First Reading): Annexation of 2.42 acres at 10569 Bergreen Road; public hearing in August.
  • Resolution 2026-248R: Set public hearing for zoning Bergreen Road property as R1A on August 24, 2026. Approved.

Key Outcomes

  • All consent agenda items approved unanimously.
  • All resolutions and ordinances on the agenda passed with unanimous votes, except for the legal item where Councilmember White recused (still passed 6-0).
  • The Madison Letters sculpture project was authorized at a cost not to exceed $86,750, fully funded by donations.
  • Public hearings were set for August 24, 2026, for annexation and zoning of 11356 Cardinal Drive and 10569 Bergreen Road.
  • Council recognized police officers with Life Saving and Public Safety Medals.
  • The next council meeting will include continuation of first-reading items.

Meeting Transcript

Testing test there we go. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the July thirteenth, Madison City Council meeting. At this time, I would like to invite my friend Reverend Glenn Bowers from Trinity Baptist Church to come and please lead us in the invitation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, please stand. Let's pray. Dear God, we are thankful for our community. May your spirit guide these leaders and these concerned citizens to work together to improve the lives of our neighbors. Grant us clear minds and pure motives to embrace decisions that promote dignity and respect for everyone. Help us to focus on putting others' needs first. We pray this in your name. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Brother Glenn. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic. Thank you. You may be seated. May I have the roll call, please? Council President Robleski. Here. Mayor Bartlett. Here. Councilmember Beer. Here. Councilmember Gitson. Here. Councilmember McKay. Here. Councilmember Lesman. Here. Councilmember White. Here. Council Member Jackson. Here. Thank you. We have a quorum. Are there any amendments to the agenda? There is one amendment to the agenda this evening, and that is to postpone the consideration of the minutes to the next meeting. That's item 6A to give a little bit more time to solidify those minutes. Thank you very much. We have three presentations tonight, and at this time I would like to invite Mark Jacobson and Gerald Smith, and I believe Christina Hearn, or maybe it's just Mark. Is it just Mark? I'm going to start. You're going to start. Okay. Welcome. Mayor Council, good evening. I'd first like to say before I kick off my presentation that I'm super pleased to see the cooperative spirit that's been displayed up on the Dais. And that was a great article, great spread in Madison Living.

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