Tuscaloosa City Council Committee Meeting - September 16, 2025
Tuscaloosa City Council Committee Meeting - September 16, 2025
The Tuscaloosa City Council Committee met on September 16, 2025, at 2:30 PM (implied) to consider and unanimously approve eight items, including contracts, franchise agreements, and grant matches. All items were passed with a voice vote (aye) after motions and seconds.
Discussion Items
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Emergency Repair to Fire Station One Generator – Approval of a minor public works contract with Thompson Tractor for $1,270.90 from the general fund to repair a generator that failed to return to utility mode after a power outage. (Item 1 – Approved)
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FAA Pre-Application for Airport Improvement Program – Authorization to submit the FY26 pre-application for projects including Phase 2 of the cargo ramp, GA apron rehab, and terminal improvements. No funding obligation at this time. Local share for terminal improvements is $13 million from Elevate funds. (Item 2 – Approved)
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Professional Services Agreement with DTPM for Court CRO Administration – Three-year agreement totaling $14,800 ($4,000 implementation plus $300/month) for software to manage random drug testing for the court referral program. Funding from operating budget and state CRO contract. (Item 3 – Approved)
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Renewal of Contract with Jones Media Productions – Not-to-exceed $30,000 for broadcasting and streaming services for city council, zoning board, and planning commission meetings. Flat rate of $800 per meeting. (Item 4 – Approved)
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Professional Services Agreement with WBUA for Police Recruitment Advertising – $14,935 for streaming, TV, and digital ads. Part of a $100,000 annual police recruitment budget. (Item 5 – Approved)
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Franchise Agreement with Unity Fiber Golf Co. LLC – Standard franchise agreement governing right-of-way use for fiber optic broadband. Unity (through Gulf Co.) will assume future growth from Southern Light. No immediate new build-out; 5% quarterly franchise fee on gross revenue. (Item 6 – Approved)
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MOU with ALDOT for Construction Material Storage – Authorization to store Alabama marble bricks (each ~250 lbs) for the Saving Center under the Hugh Thomas Bridge. Contractor will provide fencing and barriers to protect bridge columns. (Item 7 – Approved)
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Cocal Park Lighting Grant Match – Request for $24,637.50 (25% of total $100,000 project) from tourism capital to match a 50-50 DECA grant for lighting improvements at Cocal Park South, including parking lots and playground area. (Item 8 – Approved)
Key Outcomes
- All eight items were approved unanimously by voice vote.
- The next committee meeting is scheduled for September 23, 2025, at 2:30 PM.
- The meeting was adjourned after approval of all items.
Meeting Transcript
I would entertain a motion to approve. I'm going to motion. Second. Motion and a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed. Motion carries. Minutes are approved. Item number one under new business approval of a minor public works contract with Thompson tractor for emergency repair to the fire station one generator. The total is one thousand two hundred seventy dollars and ninety cents. Scott, well, good afternoon. Okay, so the funding would be outside services general fund. Um we had a power outage at fire station one. The generator engaged as it should and had emergency power. But when the power was restored, it wouldn't go back to utility mode. So it was locked into emergency power, so we had to have them come out and rework it. Questions? Motion second. Motion second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Item number one is approved. Thanks, Scott. Item number two is authorization to submit the FY26 Federal Aviation Administration pre-application for the airport improvement program. Welcome, Jeff. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Uh each year, all airports are asked to submit projects for consideration in both Al DOT's grant program and the FA's grant program. This allows us to discuss various projects that we're interested that were pulled out of our master plan effort and look for funding considerations. If they're interested, they'll send us a what we call a go letter. So this does not obligate any funding at this time. Uh we will submit a final application typically in the spring or summer time that would obligate it. We'd have the final details, final dollar amounts before we go forward. Questions. So did you submit anything? Segum. Did we submit projects? Yes, sir. I got a list of them if you'd like to see those. Yeah, or not in here, right? So they are our cargo rant. Yeah, yeah. Why don't you why don't you give us the high level? The top three hit for a list of five years' worth of projects that allows them to look out over the horizon what's coming down, start programming dollars. The projects that we're most interested, interested in is in 2026 phase two of the cargo ramp. We just did the contract award for site prep. This will be the second phase. The next project is a GA apron rehab on the airport. GARL AVEIATION So Part We have a pavement condition index that studies which is some of our worst pavements.
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