OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

City Council Meeting Summary - January 13, 2026

City Council Meetings — Tuesday, January 13, 2026
BodyTuscaloosa, Alabama
SessionCity Council Meetings
DateTuesday, January 13, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 23:12

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Okay.

0:00

Notes that he gave me.

0:02

Alrighty.

0:04

We understand you don't really know much about this.

0:07

You know, I just I just wrapped the ore.

0:10

Um all right.

0:11

So the first one you've got is 2646 25th Street.

0:15

That is in Council District 2.

0:16

It's over next to Elizabeth Baptist.

0:18

Um with that one, Mr.

0:21

Williams has wrapped his phone call and he's here to save me.

0:27

Sorry about that.

0:28

No problem.

0:29

I think it's just we're on the first slide.

0:32

All right, so this is 2646 25th Street.

0:35

They've made all the exterior repairs.

0:37

The only thing they lack is painting.

0:39

Uh it's my suggestion we go ahead and just cut them loose and let them finish their repairs through their uh permit on this one.

0:47

Is that a mobile home?

0:48

No, sir, it's a house.

0:52

Okay.

0:54

All right.

0:55

Next one's that right.

0:57

Yes, we did it.

0:58

2327 Jack Warner Parkway.

1:01

This is old house garage.

1:05

He fixed the holes in the roof.

1:07

Uh he did fix the garage door there, and he locked up the other big door on the other part of the building.

1:16

Uh, but the front door, if we go back to the front first slide, so you can see it's open to the public.

1:23

And he also has not cleaned up anything on the outside.

1:27

Uh I still think at that location that that just looks really bad.

1:31

I mean, I only do I think it needs to be.

1:34

You know, he he said he was gonna have it completely fixed uh within the 30 days.

1:38

Uh I think it needs to come down.

1:40

I mean, I don't see uh from what I understand.

1:45

I don't see this building fitting the uh framework for that part of the city either.

1:52

So that's too much working in that area to let that just sit there in my opinion.

1:57

Virgil, can you remind us of the what there are two buildings involved in this parcel?

2:02

Uh there was a building, and then the other part part was a slab the slab.

2:06

Yeah, we see we we condemned the slab, which was the property next door, the old Jerry's cleaner's property.

2:11

Do you think he should have already had been finished?

2:14

Uh no, well, he hasn't removed the slab yet.

2:17

I said you think he should have he should have been.

2:20

Oh, he had uh yes, he has the resources to have finished this, and he didn't.

2:27

He's he's done it with this property ever since we've been dealing with it.

2:32

How long have you been dealing with this?

2:34

Just out of memory.

2:35

Since before the um upgrades to Jack Warner Parkway.

2:40

Oh, okay.

2:41

That's so we just yes.

2:43

We we were dealing with him then.

2:45

We gave him time because of the renovations to the Jack Warner Parkway.

2:50

Uh then once it got fixed where he could get his trucks and things in there.

2:55

We got on him again, and he was oh, I'm doing a project across town.

3:00

I can't get to it right now.

3:02

He's caught up.

3:03

Um so and code enforcement also dealt with him on the trash and debris and junk that was on the slab for several years as well.

3:12

So I would say go ahead and uh move forward with the condemnation of this one.

3:21

All right, all right, so this one's 3153 Riggs Road.

3:26

This is also another rehash.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning And Land Use█████████████████████████████████████████████46%
Procedural█████████████████████████26%
Public Safety█████████9%
Zoning Regulations█████████9%
Facility Management█████5%
Public Engagement█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

City Council Meeting Summary - January 13, 2026

The Tuscaloosa City Council convened on January 13, 2026, to address a mix of code enforcement condemnations, road vacations, licensing requests, and administrative authorizations. The meeting featured significant discussion on deteriorating properties, where the council authorized condemnation actions for multiple blighted sites while sparing one property owner to complete repairs. Other agenda items included a street vacation for a non-functional right-of-way, a request for a special event alcohol license, and the introduction of three zoning amendments. The session also covered upcoming committee reassignments following the upcoming election, upcoming meetings with the University of Alabama administration, and administrative deadlines for campaign finance and ethics filings.

Consent Calendar

  • Demolition Liens: Authorization to set costs and file liens for the demolition of buildings at 3313 16th Street and 2214 26th Avenue.
  • Emergency Services Contract: Authorization for Allied Emergency Services BHM (DBA Pure Clean Emergency Services) totaling $2,440.29.
  • Utility Services: Authorization for a professional services contract with Corterra, Inc. for utility location management totaling $11,920.00.
  • Arbitrage Rebate: Authorization for the 2020 arbitrage rebate payment to the United States Treasury totaling $592,811.31.
  • Minor Public Works: Authorization for contracts with Amazon and Associates ($43,560.00) and Night Signs Industries ($16,337.00 for Powell Gym; $36,975.00 for Tuscaloosa Tennis Center).
  • Budget Amendment: Authorization for Amendment No. 4 to the 2022 A Warrant Series budget.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Speaker 1 (Unidentified Council Member): Expressed strong support for the "Bad Landlords" award list, describing the emails sent to landlords as "eye-opening" and noting surprise at several recipients. They suggested notifying the identified landlords of their current standings, noting that code enforcement has not yet done so. They reiterated that most landlords contact them with excuses rather than proactive solutions.
  • Speaker 2 (Mayor): Encouraged Council members to review the "Bad Landlords" email list. They expressed personal emotion regarding a past event at City Hall, noted the high turnout, and thanked the staff (including Sarah and her team) for professional photographic coverage of recent activities.

Discussion Items

  • Condemnation of Deteriorating Properties:
    • 2646 25th Street (Council District 2): Code Enforcement recommended letting the owner finish repairs and cut the case loose, as exterior repairs are complete except for painting. Speaker expressed full support for allowing the owner to finish repairs without immediate condemnation.
    • 2327 Jack Warner Parkway: Addressed a multi-building parcel (house and condemned slab) with an open front door, trash, and unremoved debris. The property had been under enforcement since before Jack Warner Parkway upgrades, with the owner citing projects across town as a delay. Speaker expressed full support for moving forward with condemnation, stating the building does not fit the city's framework and has sat unaddressed despite available resources.
    • 3153 Riggs Road: A second chance was missed; the property owner begged for time but the house remains untouched with a completely rotted back wall. Speaker expressed full support for condemnation and any accessory buildings, noting the cost of repair is prohibitive.
    • 2790 Elm Street (House: 2770 Elm Street): The property is open to the public with busted windows and foundation issues. The owner stated he does not want to fight the battle. Speaker expressed full support for condemnation based on the owner's lack of intent to repair, despite other structures on the parcel (church, trailer) requiring separate handling.
    • 2715 Oak Street: Owned by a bank in Florida with a disconnected number; the house is overgrown and open to the public. Speaker expressed full support for moving forward with condemnation, noting no contest is expected.
  • Street Vacation (Jordan McGee Road): A proposal to vacate a 50-foot wide by 200-foot long sliver of right-of-way between JVC Road and the interstate. Speaker explained that vacating removes a non-beneficial encumbrance as the road segment has no visible remnant and cannot connect to the interstate.
  • Alcohol License (Downtown Entertainment LLC): Application for a special event permit for five retail events (January-March) at fraternity houses and one at "Brighton Denny" (specifically for ATO alumni dinner and Tri-Delta Parents Weekend).
  • Zoning Amendments (Introduced):
    • Amendment 25 (0.33 acres, 5921 New Watermelon Road): Rezoning from GC to MFR (McRights Ferry Land LLC).
    • Amendment 26 (0.42 acres, 5921 New Watermelon Road): Rezoning from MFR to GC (Vic Right Security Land LLC).
    • Amendment 27 (1 acre, 820 21st Avenue East): Rezoning from NC to GC.
    • Note: All three were introduced for the public hearing scheduled for February 10, 2026. Council requested UD provide a brief on the Watermelon Road items before the hearing.
  • Administrative & Future Meetings:
    • Committee Reassignment: Speaker suggested refiguring committees after the January election to ensure fairness and accommodate the incoming council member. They invited members to share interests in specific committees.
    • University of Alabama Meeting: A meeting with UA President Moeller is scheduled for January 29th. Speaker expressed excitement about the visit and requested a headcount to coordinate parking and departure times (11:15 AM).
    • Filing Deadlines: Council reminded of annual report deadlines: Secretary of State (Campaign Finance) due January 31st, and Ethics Commission filing due in April. Speaker detailed the time-consuming nature of online filing for expenditures made from campaign funds.
    • Schedule Changes: City Hall closed January 19th; Planning & Zoning meeting rescheduled to January 26th at 5:00 PM.

Key Outcomes

  • Condemnation Votes: The Council unanimously agreed to recommend condemnation for four properties (2327 Jack Warner Parkway, 3153 Riggs Road, 2790 Elm Street, 2715 Oak Street) and agreed not to move forward with condemnation for 2646 25th Street, allowing the owner to complete repairs under their permit.
  • Zoning Hearing Date: Set for February 10, 2026, for the three introduced zoning amendments (No. 25, 26, and 27).
  • Motion: A motion was made to adjourn the meeting.

Meeting Transcript

Okay. Notes that he gave me. Alrighty. We understand you don't really know much about this. You know, I just I just wrapped the ore. Um all right. So the first one you've got is 2646 25th Street. That is in Council District 2. It's over next to Elizabeth Baptist. Um with that one, Mr. Williams has wrapped his phone call and he's here to save me. Sorry about that. No problem. I think it's just we're on the first slide. All right, so this is 2646 25th Street. They've made all the exterior repairs. The only thing they lack is painting. Uh it's my suggestion we go ahead and just cut them loose and let them finish their repairs through their uh permit on this one. Is that a mobile home? No, sir, it's a house. Okay. All right. Next one's that right. Yes, we did it. 2327 Jack Warner Parkway. This is old house garage. He fixed the holes in the roof. Uh he did fix the garage door there, and he locked up the other big door on the other part of the building. Uh, but the front door, if we go back to the front first slide, so you can see it's open to the public. And he also has not cleaned up anything on the outside. Uh I still think at that location that that just looks really bad. I mean, I only do I think it needs to be. You know, he he said he was gonna have it completely fixed uh within the 30 days. Uh I think it needs to come down. I mean, I don't see uh from what I understand. I don't see this building fitting the uh framework for that part of the city either. So that's too much working in that area to let that just sit there in my opinion. Virgil, can you remind us of the what there are two buildings involved in this parcel? Uh there was a building, and then the other part part was a slab the slab. Yeah, we see we we condemned the slab, which was the property next door, the old Jerry's cleaner's property. Do you think he should have already had been finished? Uh no, well, he hasn't removed the slab yet. I said you think he should have he should have been. Oh, he had uh yes, he has the resources to have finished this, and he didn't. He's he's done it with this property ever since we've been dealing with it. How long have you been dealing with this? Just out of memory. Since before the um upgrades to Jack Warner Parkway. Oh, okay. That's so we just yes.

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