Tuscaloosa City Council Meeting - September 16, 2025
Tuscaloosa City Council Meeting - September 16, 2025
The Tuscaloosa City Council met on September 16, 2025, to approve previous meeting minutes, adopt job descriptions for two executive positions, amend airport fee schedules, and consider two liquor license applications. All motions were approved unanimously.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of minutes from the previous meeting (motion and second, all in favor).
Discussion Items
- Adoption of Executive Director of Government Relations and External Affairs Job Description: Dr. Rush, who has been assigned the duties since July 1, 2025, described the role as a main connector for community and legislative affairs, working with agencies, the downtown business association, and local delegation. Councilman Busby expressed concerns about the creation process and pay category, noting prior disagreements. The mayor affirmed his authority to assign duties. The motion passed.
- Adoption of Director of Saban Center Facility Operations Job Description: Audrey Buck presented the need for a facility operations director for the Saban Center, a city facility expected to host 170,000–200,000 visitors annually. The position will manage day-to-day operations across six tenants and 118,000 square feet. The motion passed.
- Adoption of Executive Director of Saban Center Job Description: Ms. Herbert requested adoption, noting that Audrey Buck has been serving in the role since October 2021. The motion passed.
- Amendment to Section 5-41 of City Code (Airport Fees): Jeff presented an updated rent study comparing 66 airports (49 responses). Proposed changes: landing fee for small aircraft (6,000–12,499 lbs) increased from $2.00 to $2.25 per thousand pounds; for larger aircraft to $2.75 per thousand pounds. Fuel flowage fee for jet aircraft increased from 6 cents to 10 cents per gallon (no change for smaller aircraft). No change to special event fees. The motion passed.
- Liquor License Applications:
- Mixed Bar and Grill (1817 University Blvd) – Restaurant retail liquor license. Applicant Joseph Motz and Anna Hernandez. Councilman Busby welcomed them and emphasized the license requires operation as a restaurant, not a bar. No objections from police. Motion passed.
- Embassy Suites (2014 University Blvd) – Special retail more than 30 days (change of ownership). Crestline Hotels and Resorts LLC as new property manager. No police objections. Motion passed.
Key Outcomes
- All motions were approved by the council.
- Job descriptions adopted for Executive Director of Government Relations and External Affairs, Director of Saban Center Facility Operations, and Executive Director of Saban Center.
- Airport fee schedule amended: increased landing fees and fuel flowage fees for jet aircraft.
- Two liquor licenses granted (one restaurant retail, one special retail).
- Meeting adjourned.
Meeting Transcript
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.
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