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Record of Proceedings

Pelham City Council Meeting and Oakmont Rezoning Public Hearing - June 4, 2026

City Council — Thursday, June 4, 2026
BodyPelham, Alabama
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, June 4, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:35:58

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

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.

Speaker 1

3:05

Okay, we're going to call this meeting to order.

3:07

If everybody can get ready.

3:11

Councilman Snowden is going to lead us in an invocation, followed by Mayor Wash with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Speaker 2

3:21

Dear Lord, our Father of us all, we ask that you sanctify us in your truth today, Lord.

3:29

Father, your word is truth.

4:28

Amen.

Unassigned speaker

5:00

President, and you do have a quorum, sir.

Speaker 1

5:02

Up on the agenda is the consent agenda, which consists of the approval of the June 4 2026 City Council meeting agenda.

5:10

Approval of the May 21st, 2026 regular council meeting minutes.

5:15

Resolution 2026 040060401 through 04.

5:23

The complete text of the agenda minutes, ordinances, and resolutions are available at Pelham City Hall and online at Pelham Alabama.gov.

5:31

I'll entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda.

Speaker 3

5:34

I'll make a motion to approve.

Speaker 1

5:36

Is there a second?

Speaker 3

5:37

Second.

Speaker 1

5:39

Councilwoman Towns with the second.

5:42

I'll ask the city clerk for a roll call vote.

Speaker 4

5:46

Council President Leverett.

5:48

Yes.

5:48

Customer power.

5:49

Yes.

5:49

Customer Towns.

5:50

Yes.

5:50

Consumer Snowden.

5:51

Yes.

5:52

Consumer Harris.

5:53

Yes.

Speaker 1

5:54

And the consent agenda passes unanimously.

5:57

That leads us into the report of the mayor.

Speaker 5

6:00

Thank you, Council President.

Unassigned speaker

6:02

Uh

Speaker 5

6:02

I'd like to uh tell you guys about something special that we are doing throughout the city of Pelham.

6:10

Uh this year being the 250th uh signing of the Declaration of Independence.

6:16

We have had events planned all throughout the year.

6:19

And uh we just did a big Memorial Day event and we've got on June the 13th, I think it is, or 14th is a week from Sunday.

6:29

We've got that's flag day.

6:31

And we're gonna be retiring uh 250 flags at our city's cemetery during that day about one o'clock, and then that afternoon elementary schools have both anniversary uh celebration, and uh we will have a sign put up beside their fire hydrant with the QR code and a number on it so where people can scan the QR code and they'll be able to go online and vote for their favorite fire hydrant.

6:58

And so we're gonna have this community-wide contest, and the winners of the contest, whatever HOA wins this contest, I'm gonna throw a uh big cookout for 'em.

7:08

So uh so it's gonna be a lot of fun, gonna be something that we hope the whole uh all the community and all the neighborhoods get behind.

7:15

We also are gonna roll this over into the month after the fire on the water, which is July the third.

7:21

We're gonna roll this over into a celebration for all the businesses in the city and uh and and encourage them to decorate the front of their businesses patriotically, either paint them or do something patriotic to uh to celebrate this.

7:37

So, you know, we have taken uh the uh really the bull by the horns on this.

7:43

I know uh representative Pascal, where are you at?

7:45

Are you in

Unassigned speaker

7:46

here?

Speaker 5

7:47

He he was here, so maybe he's in the back somewhere, but he he has he has helped us, and we have we have really uh pushed this 250 event this year.

7:56

It has been one of the features of my first year in office, and it's something that we have done that's really helped to pull the community together, and this is just another part in that process.

8:08

So as we roll this out, you hear about the decorating the fire hydrants.

8:13

Uh please get involved, find somebody that's doing that, find what you know, get your neighborhood involved and sign up and and it's gonna be a lot of fun.

8:21

So thank

Unassigned speaker

8:22

you.

Speaker 1

8:23

Thank you, Mayor.

8:24

That leads us into the report by the city manager.

Speaker 6

8:27

Thank you, Council President.

8:29

Um just wanted to uh let everyone know that the city of Pelham is hosting retirement planning seminars uh by uh by the retirement systems of Alabama.

8:39

I think this is the first time that we've hosted one, but it's June 10th and 11 at the Pelham Civic Complex.

8:45

Don't try to go and sign up for it because it's too late.

8:48

But uh it's the session, one session is for new and mid-career members who want more information on how to prepare for retirement, and then the other is only for members who are eligible for retirement within the next five years.

9:00

But the exciting part is we have 185 employees from Pelham and nearby municipalities who registered to attend the event, so we're excited to welcome them to Pelham and hopefully we'll be um a regular spot for this.

9:13

And I'm really it's it's hard to know what to talk about every time the employee survey comes out, but this is our this is our third time to do the employee engagement survey.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning Regulations█████████████████████████████████████████████61%
Community Engagement████████11%
Procedural██████8%
Personnel Matters█████7%
Public Engagement████6%
Transportation Safety██3%
Environmental Protection█2%
Active Transportation█1%
Affordable Housing█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Pelham City Council Meeting and Oakmont Rezoning Public Hearing - June 4, 2026

The Pelham City Council convened on June 4, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The meeting featured a detailed public hearing for the proposed Oakmont planned unit development (PUD-R), employee engagement survey results, the introduction of a new police captain, and the approval of two new business resolutions. The council deferred a vote on the Oakmont rezoning, sending it back to the Planning Commission due to discrepancies between plans presented at the two levels.

Consent Calendar

  • Approvals: The consent agenda, including the June 4, 2026 meeting agenda, the May 21, 2026 regular meeting minutes, and four resolutions, was approved unanimously on a roll call vote.
  • Telecom Permits: Resolutions 2026-06-04-01 and 2026-06-04-02 approved special use permits for equipment modifications at telecommunications facilities on Peavine Falls Road and Morgan Park Road.
  • Bids: Resolution 2026-06-04-03 accepted the lowest bid from Massey Asphalt Paving, LLC for the 2026 Street Resurfacing Project. Resolution 2026-06-04-04 accepted the lowest bid from Harrison Contractors, LLC for the Mallard Circle Water Main Replacement Project.

Mayor's Report

  • America 250 & Flag Day: Mayor Rick outlined the city's ongoing celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, highlighting a Flag Retirement Ceremony on June 14 at Pelham City Cemetery and a "Together Under One Flag" event at Pelham City Park.
  • Fire Hydrant Contest: The Mayor announced a community-wide contest where HOAs can paint fire hydrants patriotically. Citizens will scan QR codes on the hydrants to vote for their favorite, with the winning HOA receiving a cookout from the Mayor.

Reports & Personnel

  • Employee Engagement Survey: City Manager reported that 77% of full-time employees participated in the third Gallup survey. The highest-rated items were "My job is important to the overall success of the city" (4.65/5), "In my department, we take great responsibility for the quality of service" (4.64/5), and a third item (4.56/5), indicating a strong sense of pride and service among city employees.
  • New Police Captain: Police Chief Ed Delmer introduced Captain Stephen Brock, the newest member of the senior command staff. Capt. Brock brings over 20 years of military service (U.S. Marine Corps and Alabama National Guard), including a Bronze Star and Combat Infantryman Badge, alongside 20 years in law enforcement, most recently serving as a captain in Chilton County.

Public Hearing: Oakmont (PUD-R Rezoning)

Applicant Proposal: Brooks Harris of Harris Doyle Homes presented plans for "Oakmont," a rezoning of 247 acres off State Park Road from A-1, B-1, R-1, and R-3 to PUD-R. The proposal included 193 homes (176 single-family homes on 60-70 foot lots, plus 17 large estate lots), with a density of 0.78 units per acre. The developer emphasized that 160 acres (two-thirds) of the property would remain undisturbed. Plans include a 100-foot buffer along State Park Road, trails, an amenity area, and linkage to the Oak Mountain Greenway. A traffic study by SANE Engineering indicated the development would not degrade traffic flow, and the developer has agreed to install turn lanes. The economic impact was projected at $570,000 in annual property taxes and $500,000+ in local sales tax.

Testimony in Favor:

  • Three residents (Dustin Doherty, Annalisa Cumberland, and Tracy Smothers) spoke in favor. All were recent homebuyers in Harris Doyle's nearby Sims Landing development. They praised the builder's quality, customer service, and the area's natural beauty, viewing the project as beneficial for Pelham's growth.

Testimony in Opposition:

  • Marty Gilbert (Emerald Lake Drive): Questioned the density of the garden home sections, fearing corporate ownership and rentals. He requested larger lot sizes.
  • Jasmine (Creek View Drive): Argued the development is effectively high density (176 homes on less than 87 developable acres), contrary to Pelham's "path apart" identity. She voiced concerns about proximity to an elementary school and potential impacts on rare plant species in the Oak Mountain area.
  • Hunter Milling (Haven View Drive): Opposed the project due to "crippling" impacts on daily traffic infrastructure and emergency access, citing existing gridlock near the tank farm exit. He argued the area should remain a natural buffer for the state park.
  • Maggie Amslawyer (Ridge Drive): Concerned about environmental fragmentation, increased traffic, and wildlife strikes on State Park Road, which she cycles for access to Oak Mountain State Park.

Council Deliberation:

  • Councilwoman Towns: Stated she could not support denying the application due to the "frightening" alternative of a developer building over 300 homes without council oversight on the current zoning. She urged the council to "take off its sweats, put on our heels and strut our stuff" regarding controlled growth.
  • Council President Leverett: Expressed "heartburn" over the 60 and 70-foot lot frontages. He proposed an alternative "math equation" utilizing R2 zoning to allow for slightly larger lots (10,000 sq ft instead of 7,000 sq ft) while maintaining the same total number of housing units through the use of duplexes on a portion of the site. He warned that if a compromise isn't reached, the project could "die and be stuck there for a year."

New Business Resolutions

  • Resolution 2026-06-04-05: Authorized an agreement with Graymar Environmental and a FY2026 budget amendment for the demolition of substantially damaged buildings along Chandalar Court. Approved unanimously.
  • Resolution 2026-06-04-06: Accepted negotiated bid pricing from ICS, Inc. and amended the FY2026 budget for the Pelham Civic Complex & Ice Arena Main Switchboard Replacement Project. Approved unanimously.

Public Comments (Non-Hearing)

  • Gray Oaks Speeding: John Stade (Gray Oaks Way) and another resident requested speed bumps in Gray Oaks to address speeding and a "teen takeover" incident. City Engineer Mike Eddington committed to providing the residents with the city's Traffic Calming Policy.
  • Campaign Statement: Jay Wellbourne, a candidate for Shelby County District Court Place 3, addressed the council, urging residents to vote in the upcoming June 16 runoff election.

Key Outcomes

  • Oakmont Rezoning (Deferred): The council did not take a final vote on the rezoning. Council President Leverett announced that the presentation given to the council on June 1st contained "substantially different plans" than the one presented to the Planning Commission. In fairness to the developer, the application is being sent back to the Pelham Planning Commission for reconsideration.
  • New Business Resolutions: Resolutions 2026-06-04-05 (Chandalar Court Demolition) and 2026-06-04-06 (Civic Complex/Ice Arena Switchboard) were passed unanimously.
  • Consent Agenda: All consent items (telecom permits, street resurfacing, water main bid) were approved unanimously.
  • Public Announcements:
    • The June 18 public hearing for 134 King Valley Drive (rezoning R-1 to R-4) was scratched from the schedule.
    • The Flag Day celebration is scheduled for June 14.
    • City offices will be closed June 19 (Juneteenth) and July 3 (Independence Day observed).

Meeting Transcript

Okay, we're going to call this meeting to order. If everybody can get ready. Councilman Snowden is going to lead us in an invocation, followed by Mayor Wash with the Pledge of Allegiance. Dear Lord, our Father of us all, we ask that you sanctify us in your truth today, Lord. Father, your word is truth. Amen. President, and you do have a quorum, sir. Up on the agenda is the consent agenda, which consists of the approval of the June 4 2026 City Council meeting agenda. Approval of the May 21st, 2026 regular council meeting minutes. Resolution 2026 040060401 through 04. The complete text of the agenda minutes, ordinances, and resolutions are available at Pelham City Hall and online at Pelham Alabama.gov. I'll entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda. I'll make a motion to approve. Is there a second? Second. Councilwoman Towns with the second. I'll ask the city clerk for a roll call vote. Council President Leverett. Yes. Customer power. Yes. Customer Towns. Yes. Consumer Snowden. Yes. Consumer Harris. Yes. And the consent agenda passes unanimously. That leads us into the report of the mayor. Thank you, Council President. Uh I'd like to uh tell you guys about something special that we are doing throughout the city of Pelham. Uh this year being the 250th uh signing of the Declaration of Independence. We have had events planned all throughout the year. And uh we just did a big Memorial Day event and we've got on June the 13th, I think it is, or 14th is a week from Sunday. We've got that's flag day. And we're gonna be retiring uh 250 flags at our city's cemetery during that day about one o'clock, and then that afternoon elementary schools have both anniversary uh celebration, and uh we will have a sign put up beside their fire hydrant with the QR code and a number on it so where people can scan the QR code and they'll be able to go online and vote for their favorite fire hydrant. And so we're gonna have this community-wide contest, and the winners of the contest, whatever HOA wins this contest, I'm gonna throw a uh big cookout for 'em. So uh so it's gonna be a lot of fun, gonna be something that we hope the whole uh all the community and all the neighborhoods get behind. We also are gonna roll this over into the month after the fire on the water, which is July the third. We're gonna roll this over into a celebration for all the businesses in the city and uh and and encourage them to decorate the front of their businesses patriotically, either paint them or do something patriotic to uh to celebrate this. So, you know, we have taken uh the uh really the bull by the horns on this. I know uh representative Pascal, where are you at? Are you in here? He he was here, so maybe he's in the back somewhere, but he he has he has helped us, and we have we have really uh pushed this 250 event this year. It has been one of the features of my first year in office, and it's something that we have done that's really helped to pull the community together, and this is just another part in that process. So as we roll this out, you hear about the decorating the fire hydrants. Uh please get involved, find somebody that's doing that, find what you know, get your neighborhood involved and sign up and and it's gonna be a lot of fun. So thank

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