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Record of Proceedings

Tuscaloosa City Council Meeting: Public Safety & Personnel (2026-01-13)

City Council Meetings — Tuesday, January 13, 2026
BodyTuscaloosa, Alabama
SessionCity Council Meetings
DateTuesday, January 13, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 17:18

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:00

Who am I looking for?

0:01

Oh okay.

0:02

John.

0:05

Okay, thank you.

0:08

Chill my herb and cats.

0:12

Okay.

0:13

Mark now we missed it.

0:15

I'm going in one door and out the other.

0:16

Okay, just me and John.

0:19

All right, we're good, Vicky.

0:21

Yes.

0:21

All right.

0:23

Yeah.

0:23

Okay.

0:24

So public safety meeting is now in cost of order.

0:29

Norman's off the house too.

0:32

So can I get an approval of the minutes?

0:34

I'll make a motion.

0:35

Second.

0:36

All in favor.

0:38

The minutes finally stand approved.

0:41

What do you want to what do you want to pass today?

0:43

So that's our new business chief.

0:47

We have a resolution authorizing a memorandum of understanding with the Tuscaloosa Transit Authority.

0:53

Thank you, Council.

0:54

As we always look for as a city to make sure that we're doing things the right way, look towards the future.

0:59

We realized that we had no agreement for buses if we need a transport citizens in need during an emergency.

1:05

This would be a MOU with transit authority that would allow us to use our buses in case of an emergency.

1:10

We hope that never happens, but we'll be prepared if it does.

1:15

No, sir.

1:18

Okay.

1:18

Any questions?

1:20

I'll make a motion.

1:21

Second.

1:21

All in favor.

1:22

Aye.

1:23

Motion passes.

1:24

Thank you, Chief.

1:24

All right.

1:26

Mary Beth, we have a restaurant retail dealer license at Logan's Roadhouse Enterprise.

1:32

Happy name.

1:34

Like she said, I have one ABC application due to an ownership change.

1:40

That is for Logan's Roadhouse Enterprises LLC doing business as Logan's Roadhouse 318, requesting a license for a retail restaurant retail liquor.

1:50

They're located at 1511 Skyland Boulevard East.

1:54

Their hours of operation is Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m.

1:57

to 10 p.m.

1:58

Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.

2:00

to 11 p.m.

2:02

Here's the aerial view.

2:03

Of course, we know that Logan's Roadhouse sits right in front of Walmart off of Skylin.

2:08

Their maximum occupancy is 316.

2:13

Here's their menu.

2:17

And TPD had no incidents at this location.

2:21

So same location.

2:23

Everything's just about to say that's it.

2:27

You got any questions?

2:28

I've definitely never known the problem Easter Old City.

2:32

None of that.

2:32

It would be kind of fun.

2:35

I'll make a motion.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety█████████████████████████████████████████████72%
Personnel Matters██████████████23%
Procedural███5%
Summary of Proceedings

Tuscaloosa City Council Meeting: Public Safety & Personnel (2026-01-13)

The City Council convened on January 13, 2026, to approve routine minutes, execute an emergency transport agreement, renew a liquor license, and address major personnel changes within the Public Safety sector, including the appointment of an Executive Director of Public Safety.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The Council unanimously approved the minutes from the previous meeting.
  • Resolution on Emergency Transport: The motion passed unanimously to authorize a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Tuscaloosa Transit Authority, allowing for the use of city buses during emergencies if TPA services are unavailable.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Public Safety Committee: Mayor Bell invited Council members to address the committee regarding the new public safety appointments. Chief Sanders requested no further comments after making his remarks, and Council members offered congratulations and expressions of confidence in the appointees.

Discussion Items

  • Restaurant Retail Dealer License: Ms. Howard presented the renewal for Logan's Roadhouse 318 at 1511 Skyland Boulevard East. The proposal detailed the ownership change, business hours, maximum occupancy of 316, and confirmed no incidents reported by the Tuscaloosa Police Department (TPD).
  • Appointment of Executive Director of Public Safety: Mayor Bell announced the appointment of Chief Brent Blakely as the new Executive Director of Public Safety, effective January 19, 2026. The Mayor outlined five reasons for the appointment: Chief Blakely's relentless work ethic, commitment to accountability, ability to learn and adapt, passion for innovation (specifically in cyber intelligence), and his dedication to the city. The Mayor noted that 41 cents of every dollar spent by the city is invested in public safety and expressed strong support for the position to manage future challenges.
  • Appointment of Acting Police Chief: Following Chief Blakely's promotion, the Mayor announced the vacancy and the appointment of Chief Sibo Sanders as Acting Chief of the Tuscaloosa Police Department, pending confirmation on January 27, 2026. Chief Sanders has served the department for 29 years, rising through the ranks from patrol to deputy chief, and is highlighted for his community outreach efforts, including weekly meetings with suspended students and parents.
  • Recruitment Timeline for Permanent Chief: A timeline was presented for hiring a permanent Police Chief. Key dates include posting the position on January 14, 2026; the selection committee (including Council members) to interview candidates the week of March 2-6; the Mayor to interview finalists the week of March 23-27; with a goal to announce the new chief by mid-April.
  • Statements from Appointees: Chief Blakely thanked the Council and public expressed support for his transition from TPD Chief to Executive Director, emphasizing a collaborative approach across city departments. Chief Sanders expressed gratitude for his 29 years of service and reiterated his commitment to keeping the city and schools safe.

Key Outcomes

  • Motion Passed: Unanimously approved the minutes from the previous meeting.
  • Motion Passed: Unanimously authorized the MOU with the Tuscaloosa Transit Authority.
  • Motion Passed: Unanimously approved the ABC retail dealer license for Logan's Roadhouse 318.
  • Appointments Announced: Chief Brent Blakely appointed as Executive Director of Public Safety; Chief Sibo Sanders appointed as Acting Chief of Police (effective upon confirmation Jan 27).
  • Timeline Established: Recruitment process for the new permanent Police Chief initiated with a target announcement by mid-April 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Who am I looking for? Oh okay. John. Okay, thank you. Chill my herb and cats. Okay. Mark now we missed it. I'm going in one door and out the other. Okay, just me and John. All right, we're good, Vicky. Yes. All right. Yeah. Okay. So public safety meeting is now in cost of order. Norman's off the house too. So can I get an approval of the minutes? I'll make a motion. Second. All in favor. The minutes finally stand approved. What do you want to what do you want to pass today? So that's our new business chief. We have a resolution authorizing a memorandum of understanding with the Tuscaloosa Transit Authority. Thank you, Council. As we always look for as a city to make sure that we're doing things the right way, look towards the future. We realized that we had no agreement for buses if we need a transport citizens in need during an emergency. This would be a MOU with transit authority that would allow us to use our buses in case of an emergency. We hope that never happens, but we'll be prepared if it does. No, sir. Okay. Any questions? I'll make a motion. Second. All in favor. Aye. Motion passes. Thank you, Chief. All right. Mary Beth, we have a restaurant retail dealer license at Logan's Roadhouse Enterprise. Happy name. Like she said, I have one ABC application due to an ownership change. That is for Logan's Roadhouse Enterprises LLC doing business as Logan's Roadhouse 318, requesting a license for a retail restaurant retail liquor. They're located at 1511 Skyland Boulevard East. Their hours of operation is Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Here's the aerial view. Of course, we know that Logan's Roadhouse sits right in front of Walmart off of Skylin.

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