Statement, you and I are here.

Well, and uh if you had a chance, I would accept the motion to accept the minutes.

Move the second that all in favor.

Uh fast.

All right.

We have uh I think we have our alternate coming shortly, but let's go ahead and get started.

Uh Sean, I guess you're first.

Yes, you jumped up.

Yeah.

All right, now I want to say this.

We're gonna go over several things, job descriptions, and there might be some questions I ask, but I I know y'all are very professional, and I don't want anybody to get their feet.

Okay, yes, sir.

Because there may be a question or two, because we just don't know.

Yes, sir.

But but nobody's let's not make it partial.

Yes, sir.

Okay, we're not we're not.

So anyway.

All right, thank you.

All right, uh, good afternoon, council and mayor.

Uh, the first request is to adopt the executive director of government relations and external affairs job description.

Um, as you all are aware, Dr.

Rush has been assigned uh to perform those duties uh since actually July 1st of 2025.

Um that has been going well, so we are asking to actually go ahead and adopt um a job description for that.

Oh Ms.

Rush, sure.

Yes, we might sit in.

You sit wherever you want to sit.

Um we've got an extensive uh list, and I think you shared with some of us of this.

Yes, sir.

But tell us what you've actually been doing.

Okay, that's a good question.

So um I think the easiest way to explain it is um this position is is set up to be the main connector and advocate outside of the city hall.

So it's it breaks down really to two parts.

So there's community part where I'm working the main connector with agencies, I'm working with the downtown business association, I'm working with different organizations, and um main connector on that point.

So that if there are questions, if there's any assistance needed, right?

So there's 19 departments, it just it makes it nice to be able to funnel everything to one place.

On the other side is the legislative side.

So um I will be working with the local delegation.

I will be the intergovernmental connector between Northport, the county, um, and Montgomery, and seeing what that looks like.

So I have been building those connections.

If you actually I'll pass one of these out to everybody, so this is a document that I put together for the mayor when we were originally putting this this position together, and it breaks down what the position looks like, the 30, 60, 90 days, what have I been doing for the past 30, 60, 90 days, and the yearly goals and what that looks like, how it all kind of comes together.

So I think the easiest way to kind of walk through what have I been doing now that you kind of have an understanding of what the position is, is if you look at this 30, 60, 90 days.

Like I've just literally been coming in checking the boxes.

Okay, this is what I'm doing today.

This is what I'm working on, and building that out.

So let me see.

I think it starts on page.

Okay, so it starts on the bottom of page one.

So um I have been working on a lot of SSUT related stuff.

So that was one of the mayor's main priorities of this position was to come in and say, okay, we've got this SSUT that is going to impact um cities across the state, the city of Tuscaloosa um incredibly over the next more and more over the next decade, two decades.

So been working on that a lot.

I came in and I said, okay, so what does this position need to look like at the city?

So I'm gonna do some benchmarking.

Um went up to Mobile, went to Birmingham, and to Montgomery, went to our partner cities in the top five because we're so we're the only city in the top five that did not have this position.

So said how is everybody else doing it?

So went and saw how they're all doing it.

There is no one size fits all.

Some cities are much more um legislate, like legislatively um that is their priority.

Some are much more the local, get involved in the community public affairs side, and that's their strength.

And so it's really what does your community need?

And so that's what I put together here, and I said, okay, this is a little bit of what this city's doing, a little bit of what this city's doing.

This is meshes well for what I think the city needs.

And for what our city council needs and the mayor, and um presented this to the mayor.

So the first 30 days was really going benchmarking.

What is this?

Second 30 days was okay.

So how does that implement for the city of Tuscaloosa?

Let's do this, let's figure out the SOPs, and then going forward for the next 30 days, that's 60 to 90 days, which is where we are now.

It is okay.

Let's implement.

So it's going to be working with the council, it's going to be working with the mayor, it's going to be getting actually doing a lot more of the reaching out to the local delegation, setting up those meetings where we're going over the legislative agenda, working with Scott and his team on that to say, okay, this is what our city needs legislatively.

How can we make that happen?

What do you guys need in your in the city as a whole or um in your districts?

I think that um Mr.

Busby has reached out with an idea, and so we've already been kicking that around, and um that's the kind of thing that we're gonna be doing, kind of on the local level, and then also on the legislative level.

Richard, what what do you see are the uh the top three um issues right now and Tusk Musa that you'll that you'll kind of be dealing with?

Very good.

That's a very good question.

So I think um having a main contact at the city.

I think um everybody has a contact rather than they're trying to get in touch with the mayor, whether it's trying to get in touch with Brendan or a department head, having a main contact because there are so many people that don't understand everything that the city does every day.

Um so I think having that main contact.

Also, um, one of the things that I've been doing is going to board member or board meetings for a lot of our partner agencies.

So going to the chair board, the library board going to these boards, and as questions come up in those meetings, I'm able to answer the question right there, so that rather than for example, um Bill and I went to a downtown merchants meeting.

They said, Hey, can we just have kind of a side meeting?

I've got a question about um Greensboro.

We really feel like we've heard that all the parking that they're taking all the parking off of Greensboro.

So took Bill with me.

Any opportunity that I can take an expert or showcase another department head from our city, that's going to be a goal of mine.

But we were able to clear up a rumor before it really got started.

So being able to just have a touch point, being able to kind of clear up issues before they become issues, um, and then I think being able to help the council um get your message out and um impact your districts as much as possible.

So one of the questions I was gonna ask is how do we know if you're doing a good job or not?

Okay, so you use you have an answer for us, but yes, sir.

So if you look back on um, I guess that's starting on page three, no, four, the metrics of success.

So I went through and I built out these are the metrics of success.

Now, this job in general is very relationship heavy.

So it's really it's hard to measure those metrics of success.

But I said, okay, I need something concrete to say you're doing a good job or you're not doing a good job.

And so um, if you look down through it, so there are on the legislative advocate um advocacy metrics, so number of legislative meetings and follow-ups per quarter, progress towards the passage of any legislation, engagement with the Alabama League of Municipalities on regulatory issues.

So I'm built in these strategically clear metrics that um since a lot of this job is kind of in the gray, but there are clear metrics throughout all of the goals that I've set.

Yes, sir.

Well, one of the things I like here, and I we want to hold you to it, sure, is uh time the reports and break briefings provided.

I know you will to the mayor, but the council would like to hear this.

Of course, we'd like to know what you do.

Sure, of course, yes, sir.

And so, as I'm meeting more and more with community stakeholders, I will be putting together packets that I'm gonna be giving to the mayor and to and to you all.

Um, and then this job as you roll into the session is really that's gonna be a big priority as well.

And so I will be going, um, I'll be in Montgomery a good bit.

I'll be putting together these weekly packets that I'm getting that I'm sending back to you guys saying this is what's happening in Montgomery and how it's it could potentially impact Tuscaloosa, and then we can have the discussion on where do we go from here, how do we actually um navigate that?

So that is all part of the plan questions, can I ask a question?

Please.

This question is for for Richard's mayor more for Lachonda Lachonda Backland Executive Director of Communication that was Richard within it.

Rush will be reclassified into this job description of executive director of um government relations external affairs and then that that changed position is really it's moved to the mayor's office right yes sir okay any other questions Mr.

Busby oh excuse me and I I don't have any questions for you Dr.

LaShant uh Ms.

Herbert and Mr.

Holland probably and then I mean the the mayor and some of the staff and I have had different opinions on the creation process not as much the job and you know reams of correspondence back and forth in May and June the and and there's a lot of that that there's big chunks that we'll still whittle away on and and work I mean the mayor and I met a couple of times um but in formulating the do you come up with the pay category for a job description yes does that pay category include a component specifically that is related to departmental management yeah so the essential functions of the job are what we use in addition to the essential functions of the job and that whether it be a crew worker whether it be a super frontline supervisor or where it be whether it be a department head we look at the essential functions of the position we look at our current pay plan and look at the current pay plan and the jobs that are compared that compare in the pay plan in addition to that we look at other municipalities so we look at Birmingham we look at doping we look at Huntsville we look at Norport um we look at the county and we look at um different governmental agencies to look and see where the the salary is um listed in their pay plan when there is something similar yes ma'am all all I'm trying to understand is this job was created as a clone out of the executive director of strategic communications yes which manage the strategic communications department correct and I felt that was the wrong way to do it there's been no secret um I'm I'm delighted to see this process come into play but I still want to understand is is managing a department a component of determining pay category the essential functions of the position so you don't necessarily have to manage a department okay okay you don't necessarily have to manage the department right so there category 48 no sir we have other employees that are pay grade 48 that do not manage a department okay thank you yes sir that's an answer I can fathom yes sir well I've got one more question Mr.

Holmes you and I have been round around um my feeling on this was one component of government or executive cannot create by itself an executive level job that it would that requires both if I might attempt to resurmise your position it was that unless that you're gonna have to do it for yes sir and and I and I again I'm I'm not I appreciate y'all coming here doing this but I think the right way but everybody knows I I left kicking and screaming on counsel not approving that job at the time it was create.

And that is under Title 11, under 1144 B where the City of Tuscaloosa specifically organized, the mayor is is the CEO, and he and he is given general charge of the operations of the city of Tuscaloosa unless he's not unless he's not allowed to do that.

Still involved on a great way.

And and so I I think the I think we're we're we get off track is really an opinion as to whether or not an assignment is the same thing as creating and adopting a job description as council's doing here today.

No, I uh I had no objection for the mayor's authority to assign it was the creation of a job to assign to where you and I and everybody.

I mean where the discrepancy was.

Yes, sir.

And I think it'd be my opinion that that the mayor did not create a job.

That's what Apple's being asked to do today.

He created duties that he assigned Dr.

Rush to and and labeled those duties.

There was not a job description that was different.

I think I think we're getting into the legal issues here.

So we need to move on.

Okay, Mr.

Chair.

I I'll move to approve.

Second.

All in favor?

I thank you.

Thank you, Kelly.

All right, Ms.

Buck.

Why don't you join Ms.

Herbert?

So the next request is to adopt the director of Savannah Center Facility Operations.

And Ms.

Buck is going to give you some information about that decision.

Hello.

Hello, Audrey.

How are y'all?

Um, so yes, today we are here to uh create the job description for director of facility operations for Saban Center.

So this this position will inherently um make sure that this building, this project is operating at the highest level as far as efficiency, safety, accessibility, um, and guest experience.

So we're gonna have probably a hundred and seventy thousand to two hundred thousand um patrons that come every year, so we really need to have someone that is ensuring the full operations.

We will have six tenants in the building that will all have to work together.

There are huge systems that they will need to be uh versed in and being able to manage.

We have a hundred and seventeen, eighteen thousand square feet complete of the building, and so much of that is shared space.

Uh we did that so that we would optimize every inch, and all of these tenants will be sharing in those spaces, and this this operator, this director of uh facility operations will help manage that on a day-to-day basis.

So moving forward will be a city facility with a city employee as the director, is that correct?

Correct, yes, and this position will work with that executive director every day to make sure that the director of saving center facility operations is fully executed.

Okay, so just to be clear, so the executive director is over the savings center, and uh director is over operations, correct, facility operations facility operations?

Any other questions?

Anyone got any questions about this?

I'll make a motion, so all in favor?

I thank you.

All right, mayor, are you gonna explain this or is Ms.

Herbert?

Your name's on it.

I think Miss Herbert is probably better to do that in terms of the details.

Let me let me say this.

And I think Mr.

Busby made a very good point earlier about job responsibilities and and pay, and especially for senior level staff.

This is not the time for us to go and explore that in whole.

Um, but the responsibilities in a growing city that are being placed on department heads are immense, as you know.

Um, and one of the things we have to measure in a especially in a city like Tuscaloosa, where you have the University of Alabama and Mercedes Benz and Shelton State and Stillman College, is there is a lot of competition for a lot of senior level people that do a great job.

Um and that's one of the things you're gonna see us over the next few years continue to work on so that we can recruit and retain the best.

Um I'm you know, I'm so blessed beyond measure to have a 19 department heads that do an amazing job, and we're very fortunate to have each and every one of them.

Some of them are woefully behind what their peers are across the state, not necessarily in this particular one, but it's something that I'm very aware of, and it's something that I certainly want to bring to your attention at the appropriate time.

And even Mr.

Busby and I have had some very positive discussions about how that should look in the future.

So I do look forward to engaging.

Now to this.

I know some that fund museums like Decatur like Mobile.

Um you do have some others that have indirect funding to like McWayne and Birmingham, but none of them truly operate it or will operate it like we will.

When you look at the pay of the people who manage that type of facilities, it's important that we have an executive director that's paid.

It won't be on par, it'll still be behind.

But is commiserate with the responsibilities that will be placed upon this person, um, Audrey Buck in particular, who for a facility that's gonna be open six to seven days a week, 200,000 visitors, 120 million dollar facility with tens of millions of dollars of exhibits.

It is a massive undertaking.

And so today's goal is to align that job description with the responsibilities that are coming when this facility opens sometime in late 2027.

So that's the preamble, and I'm gonna turn it over to uh Ms.

Herbert.

Thank you, Mayor.

So this is a request to adopt the executive director of savings center job description.

As you all are aware, Miss Buck has been assigned actually since October of 2021 in this role.

She was the um deputy executive director of UD assigned as a savings center director.

So similar to Dr.

Rush, we would like to adopt the job description for the executive director of um saving center.

This person will be over, like you mentioned, Mr.

Tiner, all of the savings center.

Um, this be a job that we open up, or will it I mean I I don't, you know, will I will this be hers or how do we do that?

So she has been assigned to operate um in this position.

So it would be similar to the executive director strategic comms, where we would reclassify Audrey into this position.

Um, and then deputy director of UD would go away, and then you would just have this executive director of Saving Center.

I think that was no offense.

Just curious.

All right.

Any other questions?

No.

I'll make a motion.

All in favor.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All righty.

Jeff, you're still here?

Good.

I was afraid you might have gone to sleep over there on it.

Good afternoon once again.

Hey, buddy.

Um request is to mend section 5-41 of city code.

Uh this is where our fees and rates are currently located in uh 5-41.

So we're uh recommending a change.

We've uh done an updated rent study.

We did one back in 2016.

Uh we've made a few modifications over the years.

We incorporated an official uh airport fee schedule in 2022.

Uh but we have since starting back in February or March, we started a rent study of over 66 airports.

Uh and what we targeted and what were either Alabama-based based off the same airports that we did in the 2016 rent study, and a lot of analysis or questions we had is how do we compare to other SEC schools or college-based towns.

Uh, so we looked at those.

That that was a new uh set of airports that we previously have not had.

Out of those 66, we've had uh over 49 airports respond.

Uh, we concluded that in June, made recommendations to the airport advisory committee and sent a recommendations to the mayor.

So I want to break it down as we mentioned in the last committee in finance.

We have three primary sources of revenue, uh, for actually landing fees, fuel flowage fees, uh, our ground lease rates and special event fees.

We don't have any changes proposed to special event fees, it's just the the remaining three.

So on a landing fee, it's a uh fee applied per thousand pounds on the aircraft.

It starts at six thousand pounds.

So if we had two dollars for a six thousand pound aircraft, that would be a twelve dollar landing fee.

And as the aircraft gets bigger, it's scalable and it'll change uh all the way up to 250,000 pound plane.

So per landing per fee, every day all year long.

In the analysis we looked at, uh we saw a different approaches in the landing fee.

Some people did not start until 12,500.

And then other airports like us, we've started between 6,000 pounds to 12,499.

So our recommendation on that initial group, the small aircraft is 225, and then the larger aircraft where we see more commonality, uh, especially with college town airports is recommended at 275.

Any questions?

How much was the landing fee for the president?

Government aircraft are not there today.

We waited.

Yeah.

I just had to add a 250,000 pound aircraft that came in.

Yeah.

Well, maybe we need to change that.

Second fee or recommendation is fuel flowage.

This rate was recommended back in 2013.

Uh has not changed since then, and and it showed in our study that a lot more often it's at 10 cents.

Uh except for abgas, abgas is for our smaller aircraft, they're more price sensitive.

We wanted to keep that rate the same at six cents per gallon.

Uh but for the jet aircraft or turbine aircraft, that our recommendation is 10 cents per gallon.

Uh currently we generate around 75 to 85,000 in fuel flowage.

If this rate was adopted, our uh proposed new revenues would be 52,000.

Now we don't sell the fuel, do we?

No, sir.

It's a per gallon that our FBOs and our private, if if they are bringing fuel in the airport and the liability that brings, we charge a per gallon uh rate.

I understand some airports do set their own.

That's correct.

Correct.

The smaller the airport, the more likely they are the FBO.

The larger the airport, the more likely they have a third party.

And at Tuscaloosa, we have two third parties that operate the fixed-based operators.

Any questions?

Most second.

All in favor.

Thank you, Jeff.

All righty.

Mr.

Mills, are you with us?

There you are.

Council may I have two applicants today.

First one is Broadway BM LM LOC DBA mixed bar and grill.

Applying for a restaurant retail liquor license.

Located 1817 University Boulevard.

Hours of operation will be Sunday closed, Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m.

to 10 p.m.

Thursday and Saturday, Thursday, Saturday, 11 a.m.

to 11 p.m.

This is the area map of the location.

It's the old um right now six um university uh peace and high location.

Oh open the old pizza?

Yes, sir.

Is this is this they've been there though, haven't we?

It was a different different changing, it's a different uh business.

Oh, okay.

Okay, I thought okay.

Um zoning map uh proposed occupancy is 61 people.

Uh this is a floor plan and some of the uh menu.

Um there have been no incidents since September 20, uh September 10, 2025, but 2024 through September 10, 2025.

Um Tuscan's Florida Department did not have any issues or objections with his application, and the applicant is here if you have any questions.

Mr.

Busby, this is in your district, correct?

It is comments, questions?

Uh yeah, don't all the guys then come up sure.

Hey, how are y'all?

How are you?

Who are y'all?

I'm Joseph Motz, and this is uh Anna Hernandez.

Okay.

Well, so tell us what's going on there.

Well, we just got in there uh August 12th, which is um opening these place, and uh we just renewed our place that's kind of um needed a little change that we excited to be there.

Okay, and Anthony, there they're seeking a license as what a restaurant retail liquor license.

A restaurant retail liquor license.

So uh I'm I'm the councilman for the district you're in.

Welcome to it.

I look forward to your food.

Uh uh have no problems with the issuance of a restaurant liquor license.

I want you to know clearly it's a restaurant.

All right, it's a restaurant that serves alcohol, and you should be uh functioning like a restaurant that serves alcohol, not a bar.

All right, that'll be a problem.

Good luck.

Thank you.

I don't have a problem.

uh i'm i'm the councilman for the district you're in welcome to it i look forward to your food uh and uh have no problems with the issuance of a restaurant liquor license i want you to know clearly it's a restaurant all right it's a restaurant that serves alcohol and you should be uh functioning like a restaurant that serves alcohol not a bar all right that'll be a problem okay good luck thank you i don't have a problem okay motion motion second all in favor all right thank you one more all right uh my next applicant is special retail more than 30 days it's uh crestline hotels and resorts llc dba embassy suites touch those to Alabama downtown again applying for special retail more than 30 days um located 2014 University Boulevard bar uh operation the as determined um this is the area map the zoning map uh floor plan in the lobby floor plan on the restaurant and menu uh there have been uh have not been any incidents since 2024 august twenty sixth twenty twenty four through August 26th of 2025 um police department did not have any objections on this application uh this is a change of ownership in regards to the um the property management of the company embassy suites is the same as you hire the property management that manages out the business of is is this the restaurant that's on the side well this is they're they're the property management they're managing the whole uh property for embassy to okay okay I got you motion second all in favor uh all right we've got 30 minutes here uh 20 minutes if anybody needs to bring anything up here before we go to council make the motion adjourned second