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Record of Proceedings

Pelham City Council Regular Meeting - June 18, 2026

City Council — Thursday, June 18, 2026
BodyPelham, Alabama
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, June 18, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:01:21

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

3:12

Oh, there you go.

3:13

Yeah.

3:14

Yeah.

Speaker 2

3:50

Okay, council.

3:52

Uh, we're called this movement to order.

3:54

Before we get started in the agenda, I did have a call from Councilman Harris, who wanted me to let everyone know that uh he is the head coach of his daughter's eight U wreck softball team.

4:06

And he's also the pitcher of that team.

4:09

And they are in the state championship right now, and the rain has caused their uh games to be delayed, and so they're gonna be going into midnight, it sounds like so.

Speaker 3

4:28

We pray, Lord God, and we thank you that we are citizens of a nation, Lord God, that allows us the freedoms that we have, and I pray that today you would bless us to do the work of the city and just lift up all the praise to you because it is by your hand that we are here.

4:45

We bless you in Jesus' name.

4:47

Amen.

Unassigned speaker

5:00

And to the Republic, which it stands.

Speaker 4

5:03

Under God.

5:04

And the principle to Justice Farrell.

Unassigned speaker

5:12

Thank

Speaker 2

5:12

you, Councilwoman.

5:13

That leads us into the record of attendance.

5:16

Mr.

5:16

City Clerk, could you please make a record record of attendance?

Speaker 5

5:19

So no to Mr.

5:19

President, and you have a quorum, sir.

Speaker 2

5:21

Thank you, sir.

5:21

Leads us into consent agenda, the consent agenda consists of the approval of the April June 18, 2026 City Council agenda.

5:31

Approval of the June 4th, 2026 regular council meeting minutes.

5:35

Resolution number 2026 06 18 01 through 04.

5:44

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

5:52

I will entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda.

Unassigned speaker

5:56

Motion.

Speaker 6

5:58

Motion to approve.

6:00

Second.

Speaker 2

6:02

We have a motion and a second.

6:03

There is no debate or discussion on the consent agenda items.

6:06

I will ask the city clerk for a roll call vote.

Unassigned speaker

6:10

Because

Speaker 5

6:10

the president will ever it's customer power.

6:12

Yes.

6:13

Customer towns.

6:14

Yes.

6:14

Customer Snowden.

Speaker 2

6:15

Yes.

6:17

That leads us into the mayor's report.

Unassigned speaker

6:21

I

Speaker 1

6:21

don't have much of a report tonight, Council President, but I do want to remind everybody about the fire hydrogen competition that we are doing, celebrating 250.

6:31

So if your HOA or your neighborhood has not contacted Miss Stacy with my office, please do get online and fill out that form so you can do a fire hydrogen.

6:42

We're going to do the voting.

6:43

We'll start here in a week or so.

6:45

We've got all the signs ready.

6:47

So once your fire hydrant is complete, we will come out and put a sign up with a number on it, and I'll have a QR code so where people can vote.

6:55

And whichever neighborhood gets the uh most votes.

6:59

Uh I'm gonna come and throw some hot dogs on the grill and uh do it do a uh cookout for them.

7:05

So uh so please participate in this.

7:07

It's a great community activity and uh and uh something great to help celebrate the the 250 celebration that we're doing.

7:15

Also, this past Saturday, I mean I'm sorry, this past Sunday on flag day, we did uh a flag retirement ceremony at the Pelham Cemetery was a uh Sean uh Wynne did it as a Ziegel Scout project about five, six years ago, and uh Sean has just graduated college and just taken a job within the last two weeks with Lockheed Martin.

7:41

And uh so he was there and he conducted the ceremony and we retired uh little over 400 flags.

7:50

And uh the best we can tell, that is the largest flag retirement ceremony that that they have ever conducted in the state of Alabama.

7:58

So we had all the period correct uh soldiers depicting each uh era of wars that we have been been through, and we fired a cannon and played taps, and I mean it was a very somber, good ceremony.

8:13

So we're going to do this every year.

8:15

Uh so uh those of you who missed out this past weekend, please put it on your calendar for next year.

8:21

And we had to reschedule the under one flag uh gala that we had planned in the city park that afternoon.

8:30

We were worried about the weather uh getting real bad, and then of course it the sun shined the whole day, so uh you just never know.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Engagement████████████████████20%
Procedural██████████████████18%
Zoning Regulations███████████████15%
Religious Freedom██████████████14%
Public Safety████████8%
Personnel Matters███████7%
Economic Development█████5%
Community Engagement█████5%
Arts And Culture████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Pelham City Council Regular Meeting - June 18, 2026

On June 18, 2026, at 5:30 p.m., the Pelham City Council met in regular session at City Hall. The meeting began with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by roll call establishing a quorum. Council President Leverett presided. The agenda included routine approvals, several ABC license transfers, a major sports park renovation contract, a change to the council meeting schedule (first reading), and a rezoning application for a 247-acre property (first reading). The meeting also featured public comments, introductions of new city employees, and announcements about upcoming holidays and public hearings.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the June 18, 2026 agenda.
  • Approved the June 4, 2026 regular council meeting minutes.
  • Resolution 2026-06-18-01: Declared surplus personal property (vehicles, equipment, supplies) and authorized disposal.
  • Resolution 2026-06-18-02: Accepted proposals from AllSteel Fence, CRV Surveillance, and 1-Call Contractors for repairs and upgrades to the Pelham Water Department entrance gate (FY2026 budgeted).
  • Resolution 2026-06-18-03: Awarded the lowest responsive and responsible bid to Massey Asphalt Paving, LLC for the City Park South Parking Lot Resurfacing Project (FY2026 budgeted).
  • Resolution 2026-06-18-04: Authorized the purchase of two security camera trailers for the Pelham Police Department (FY2026 funds available). All consent items passed unanimously by roll call vote (Councilwoman Power, Councilwoman Towns, Councilman Snowden in favor).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Marty Gilbert (Emerald Lake Drive) strongly opposed the proposed rezoning for Harris Doyle Homes (Ordinance 135-269). He argued that garden homes are inappropriate for the State Park Road corridor, noting the existing zoning is predominately agricultural and single-family. He urged the council to vote no, stating the proposal is only marginally better than the previous rejected plan.
  • Gary Williams (Legacy Park) expressed conditional support. He agreed with Councilman Leverett that lot sizes should be expanded (from 60–70 feet) to avoid dense stacking, and recommended approval only if the developer widens the lots. He praised the developer as honorable.

Discussion Items

  • ABC License for Margarita Grill 280 LLC (Creekside BBQ): Resolution 2026-06-18-05 approved the liquor license for the new ownership at 1020 Oak Mountain State Park Road. The applicant stated the business will be open seven days a week (previously closed Sunday/Monday) and will enhance evening service. Unanimous vote.
  • ABC License for SunnyStar LLC (Cahaba Chevron): Resolution 2026-06-18-06 approved retail beer, table wine, and tobacco/nicotine licenses for 560 Cahaba Valley Road. This was a name change only; no changes to current offerings. Unanimous vote.
  • Pelham Sports Park Renovations – Phase II: Resolution 2026-06-18-07 awarded bids and authorized agreements for renovating Field 1 and the dugouts/fences for Fields 2, 3, and 4 at the baseball/softball complex. The project is estimated at $2.6 million, coming in $400,000 under budget. Funding will be reallocated from other accounts (cash, no borrowing). Unanimous vote.
  • One-Time Longevity Payment for Retirees: Resolution 2026-06-18-08 authorized a payment of $1 per month of service to eligible City of Pelham retirees per Act 2026-608. For example, 25 years of service yields $300. Unanimous vote.
  • Ordinance 399-08 – Council Meeting Schedule (First Reading): This ordinance repeals the previous schedule that separated work sessions and council meetings onto different days and returns to a single-evening format: regular meetings on the first and third Mondays of each month at 7:00 p.m., with adjustments for holidays. Implementation is set for August 3, 2026. The first reading was presented; a second reading and vote will occur at a future meeting.
  • Ordinance 135-269 – Rezoning for Harris Doyle Homes (First Reading): The proposed zoning change from A-1, B-1, R-1, and R-3 to PUD-R for approximately 247 acres off State Park Road. Councilman Leverett provided extensive remarks, including data from a Shelby County Schools demographic study: since 2020, live births in Shelby County declined 14%; residents 65+ make up 18% of Pelham's population; the 75+ age group tripled since 2010; school enrollment grew only 10% while population grew 22%; and tax-exempt seniors reduce ad valorem school revenue. He expressed concerns about lot sizes (60–70 feet) and the need for more diverse housing, noting the developer's 180-home plan may not generate enough students and could negatively impact the school system. He urged the council and school board to coordinate better. Other council members echoed concerns about density but also worried that rejecting the plan could lead to a worse development (e.g., 300 garden homes). The ordinance had its first reading; a vote is expected at the next council meeting.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda approved unanimously.
  • Resolution 2026-06-18-05 (Creekside BBQ ABC license) passed unanimously.
  • Resolution 2026-06-18-06 (Cahaba Chevron ABC/tobacco license) passed unanimously.
  • Resolution 2026-06-18-07 (Sports Park Phase II) passed unanimously.
  • Resolution 2026-06-18-08 (retiree longevity payment) passed unanimously.
  • Ordinance 399-08 (meeting schedule) received first reading; second reading and vote pending.
  • Ordinance 135-269 (rezoning) received first reading; council will discuss further in a work session and vote at a subsequent meeting. Councilman Leverett, who will be absent for that vote, urged the council to consider lot size adjustments.
  • Public Announcements: The July 9, 2026 council meeting will include public hearings on a rezoning at Hwy 52 and Racquet Club Parkway (proposed Quick Trip) and annexation of 5025 County Road 11. City offices will be closed June 19 (Juneteenth) and July 3 (Independence Day). Fire on the Water event is July 3 at Oak Mountain State Park (gates close at 7 p.m., fireworks at 9 p.m.).

Meeting Transcript

Oh, there you go. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, council. Uh, we're called this movement to order. Before we get started in the agenda, I did have a call from Councilman Harris, who wanted me to let everyone know that uh he is the head coach of his daughter's eight U wreck softball team. And he's also the pitcher of that team. And they are in the state championship right now, and the rain has caused their uh games to be delayed, and so they're gonna be going into midnight, it sounds like so. We pray, Lord God, and we thank you that we are citizens of a nation, Lord God, that allows us the freedoms that we have, and I pray that today you would bless us to do the work of the city and just lift up all the praise to you because it is by your hand that we are here. We bless you in Jesus' name. Amen. And to the Republic, which it stands. Under God. And the principle to Justice Farrell. Thank you, Councilwoman. That leads us into the record of attendance. Mr. City Clerk, could you please make a record record of attendance? So no to Mr. President, and you have a quorum, sir. Thank you, sir. Leads us into consent agenda, the consent agenda consists of the approval of the April June 18, 2026 City Council agenda. Approval of the June 4th, 2026 regular council meeting minutes. Resolution number 2026 06 18 01 through 04. The complete text of the agenda minutes, ordinances, and resolutions are available at Pellham City Hall and online at Pellham Alabama.gov. I will entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda. Motion. Motion to approve. Second. We have a motion and a second. There is no debate or discussion on the consent agenda items. I will ask the city clerk for a roll call vote. Because the president will ever it's customer power. Yes. Customer towns. Yes. Customer Snowden. Yes. That leads us into the mayor's report. I don't have much of a report tonight, Council President, but I do want to remind everybody about the fire hydrogen competition that we are doing, celebrating 250. So if your HOA or your neighborhood has not contacted Miss Stacy with my office, please do get online and fill out that form so you can do a fire hydrogen. We're going to do the voting. We'll start here in a week or so. We've got all the signs ready. So once your fire hydrant is complete, we will come out and put a sign up with a number on it, and I'll have a QR code so where people can vote. And whichever neighborhood gets the uh most votes. Uh I'm gonna come and throw some hot dogs on the grill and uh do it do a uh cookout for them.

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