OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Tuscaloosa City Council Meeting – August 4, 2026

City Council Meetings — Tuesday, August 4, 2026
BodyTuscaloosa, Alabama
SessionCity Council Meetings
DateTuesday, August 4, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:24:37
Transcript — Verbatim
0:10

And she's just a retired teacher.

0:12

Got you.

0:20

You ready?

0:25

Good evening, everyone.

0:26

We ask that you stand.

0:28

The Tuscaloo City Council has now come to order.

0:30

We're going to begin tonight's meeting with a prayer.

0:33

And then we ask that you remain standing for our pledge of allegiance.

0:37

Let's bow our heads, please.

0:38

Dear God, bless our proceedings tonight.

0:41

Give us the wisdom to know what is just and the strength to do what is right.

0:44

Amen.

0:46

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic.

0:55

Under God, in the discipline, we have liberty and justice for all.

0:59

Please be seated.

1:01

Approval of the minutes.

1:02

I make a motion.

1:06

Second, and we approve minutes.

1:08

Voting.

1:10

Ms.

1:10

Howard.

1:11

Yes.

1:12

Yes.

1:13

Yes.

1:14

Yes.

1:14

Yes.

1:15

Minutes stand approved.

1:17

Proclamation statements by Mayor and Council.

1:20

Before we get to the recognition for municipal court, I want to ask Wesley Snyder to come up here.

1:27

Wesley is one of our great city employees, works in uh urban development.

1:32

Um you also may know his father.

1:34

He's a longtime police officer with the Tuscaloosa police department.

1:39

Um Wesley is a young man who uh uh has faced um such a difficult hardship.

1:47

Um certainly as a father, I can't imagine.

1:50

But him and his family have wanted to do something, are doing something with that that I think is certainly to be congratulated and to be honored and recognized, and ultimately to make a difference for other families who go through similar situations.

2:05

So uh Mr.

2:06

Snyder, I'm gonna turn it over to you to talk about what you're working on as it relates with um the McDonald's house.

2:14

Thank you, sir.

2:14

Thank you.

2:17

My name's Wesley Snyder.

2:18

Our address is 5217 North Cliff Drive, Northport, Alabama, 35473.

2:23

I'm using this platform to spread awareness for the Eccles Middle School Grayson Invitational Volleyball Tournament.

2:30

The Grayson Invitational is a volleyball tournament in memory of our late son Grayson Snyder.

2:35

The tournament will be held at County High as well as Northport Intermediate School on September 11th and 12th.

2:42

Grayson was born at DCH with an undiagnosed congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

2:47

This is when the diaphragm is not properly developed, which in Grayson's case caused internal organs to shift upward where the lungs are, which means the lungs could not be developed.

2:58

Grayson was immediately lifelied at a children's hospital in Birmingham where he fought for 103 days before passing away.

3:06

All the proceeds of this tournament will go directly to Ronald McDonald House of Alabama.

3:12

If it wasn't for the Ronald McDonald House of Alabama, we frankly would have been lost.

3:18

My wife Kristen, our oldest son Fisher, and I stayed at the House during the 103 days that Grayson was in the NICU at Children's.

3:26

It was one block away from children's hospital.

3:29

This allowed us to spend less time commuting from Northport to downtown Birmingham and allowed us to spend more time with Grayson.

3:36

My wife and I had been talking about creating an event that would help other families experiencing similar situations while also keeping Grayson's name alive.

3:45

During this time, Amy Chambley, the volleyball coach for Eccles Middle School, reached out to my wife Kristen and proposed hosting a volleyball tournament.

3:55

If it wasn't for Chambly, the Eccles administration and staff, and most importantly, the local community being on board with our tournament.

4:06

If it would have even happened at all.

4:08

So to any individual, business, church, or any other entity who has contributed to this tournament, we just want to reach out and say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

4:19

This will be the third year of the tournament throughout the efforts of our surrounding communities.

4:24

We've been able to raise $30,000 for Ronald McDonald House in honor of Grayson.

4:29

We've sponsored two rooms at the house for families to stay.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Code Enforcement███████████████████████████████████████████43%
Zoning And Land Use████████████████16%
Community Engagement████████████12%
Public Safety██████████10%
Affordable Housing██████6%
Procedural█████5%
Alcohol Licenses████4%
Public Works███3%
Public Engagement█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Tuscaloosa City Council Meeting – August 4, 2026

The Tuscaloosa City Council met on August 4, 2026, at 9:59 PM (local time). The meeting included recognition of community initiatives, a lengthy discussion on the condemnation of the Legacy Country Club Apartments, several demolition orders, ABC license approvals, and citizen comments on traffic safety and police accountability. Key votes included tabling the Legacy Country Club demolition for two weeks under specific conditions, ordering demolition of one structure, and tabling another for one week.

Proclamations & Recognitions

  • Wesley Snyder presented the Grayson Invitational Volleyball Tournament, benefiting the Ronald McDonald House of Alabama. The tournament, in memory of his son Grayson, raised $30,000 over three years and sponsors two rooms at the Ronald McDonald House. The Mayor expressed strong support and directed 311 to provide information to the public.
  • Municipal Court School Supply Drive: Jessica Stewart reported that 923 school supplies were collected in lieu of payment for 151 parking tickets. Supplies were donated to the Tuscaloosa City School system. Calissa Borman, manager of New Heights Community Resource Center, accepted the donations and noted they are distributed to students in need. The Mayor highlighted this as an example of the city's core beliefs.

Consent Calendar

  • Items A through E on the consent agenda were approved unanimously (5-0).

Unfinished Business – Legacy Country Club Apartments Condemnation

  • Background: The city proposed condemning 13 buildings (units 6,7,12,14,19,20,21,22,26,28,31,33) at 1601 Mimosa Park Road (Legacy Country Club Apartments) due to over 600 housing code violations. The property has 224 total units, with 34 still occupied. History included a fire in 2024 and 2025 left unrepaired, units open to the public, and a dead deer in the pool. A condemnation notice was posted on May 4, 2026.
  • Owner’s Representative: Brian Winter (attorney) and the owner Mr. Powell (100% owner for 18 months) presented a rehabilitation plan. They proposed fencing the property, installing gated entrances and security cameras, replacing doors, and completing a $6.5–7 million renovation over 9–12 months. They had hired Trick Construction and architect Jordan Morris. They requested the council table the condemnation for two weeks to allow payment of back taxes/water bills, secure the property, and negotiate a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the city attorney, after which they could obtain financing.
  • Discussion: Councilor Howard expressed frustration over the two-year deterioration and lack of progress. The Mayor criticized the owner's negligence. Councilor Henry noted that two weeks earlier the council had tabled the issue, and as of that morning, little improvement was seen. Mr. Winter argued that in the past two weeks they had assembled a team and secured contractors. Public speaker Derek Collins opposed the delay, stating the owner had ample time and should not be trusted.
  • Public Hearing: Open for comments; Derek Collins spoke against the tabling. No other speakers.
  • Outcome: The council voted 5-0 to table the demolition for two weeks (until August 18, 2026) on condition that: (1) the property is secured (with fencing, cameras, and daily checks), (2) all back taxes and water/sewer bills are paid, and (3) both parties work toward an MOU that outlines the rehabilitation plan. If conditions are not met, the condemnation will proceed.

Public Hearings – Demolition Orders

  • 906 1/2 18th Street: 48 violations; owner had pulled a permit and started exterior repairs. Council voted to table demolition for 90 days (5-0) to allow completion of repairs.
  • 1219 19th Alley: 48 violations; property rezoned commercial, cannot be reconstructed as residence. Owner Clement Graham agreed to demolition. Council ordered demolition (5-0).
  • 1225 19th Alley: 48 violations; owner disputed the condemnation and asked for more time to fix. However, the property is now commercial and the house is non-conforming; repairs exceed 50% of value, so planning won't allow permits. Councilor Lanier moved to table for one week (5-0) to allow further discussion.

ABC License Approvals

  • Pigly Wiggly (956): Off-premises beer and table wine license for a new location at 4205 University Blvd. Police had no objection. Approved (5-0).
  • Party Down LLC: Special events retail license for “Raise the Flag” and DKE Alumni Tailgates. Approved (5-0).

Resolutions & Ordinances

  • Several routine contracts and budget amendments were approved (all votes 5-0): minor public works contract with KA Builders; architectural services contract with Ward Scott Morris Architecture; contract award to Premier Services Company; contract amendment with Thornton Mousso and Bellaman; CFO draft for Skyland Park drainage; amendment 14 to the 2026 general fund budget.
  • Zoning amendment #46 introduced; annexation of 5.82 acres at 704 Patriot Parkway introduced and adopted on first reading; public hearing set for September 1, 2026.
  • Payment of bills authorized.

Citizens’ Comments

  • Mary Ellen Cole (5624 Morning Glory Lane) raised a safety concern about a POD container parked on the street at 5655 Morning Glory Lane. The POD, placed via a temporary right-of-way permit, blocks visibility for drivers and poses a hazard for children and elderly residents. She requested immediate removal. The Mayor committed to reviewing the issue and contacting her by noon the next day.
  • Derek Collins (return speaker) addressed the council about a personal encounter with an undercover narcotics officer (Officer Beasley) that he said escalated unnecessarily. He criticized the police department’s culture and called for greater accountability, transparency, and de-escalation training. He noted he has video evidence and has experienced increased police presence since speaking at previous meetings. Councilor Howard requested the video and expressed support for community policing. No formal action was taken.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned after unanimous vote (5-0).

Key Outcomes

  • Legacy Country Club Apartments condemnation tabled for two weeks with conditions (5-0).
  • Demolition ordered for 1219 19th Alley (5-0).
  • Demolition of 906 1/2 18th Street tabled for 90 days (5-0).
  • Demolition of 1225 19th Alley tabled for one week (5-0).
  • Consent agenda and all other resolutions adopted (5-0).
  • Citizen concerns about the POD container and police accountability were acknowledged; staff follow-up promised.

Meeting Transcript

And she's just a retired teacher. Got you. You ready? Good evening, everyone. We ask that you stand. The Tuscaloo City Council has now come to order. We're going to begin tonight's meeting with a prayer. And then we ask that you remain standing for our pledge of allegiance. Let's bow our heads, please. Dear God, bless our proceedings tonight. Give us the wisdom to know what is just and the strength to do what is right. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic. Under God, in the discipline, we have liberty and justice for all. Please be seated. Approval of the minutes. I make a motion. Second, and we approve minutes. Voting. Ms. Howard. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Minutes stand approved. Proclamation statements by Mayor and Council. Before we get to the recognition for municipal court, I want to ask Wesley Snyder to come up here. Wesley is one of our great city employees, works in uh urban development. Um you also may know his father. He's a longtime police officer with the Tuscaloosa police department. Um Wesley is a young man who uh uh has faced um such a difficult hardship. Um certainly as a father, I can't imagine. But him and his family have wanted to do something, are doing something with that that I think is certainly to be congratulated and to be honored and recognized, and ultimately to make a difference for other families who go through similar situations. So uh Mr. Snyder, I'm gonna turn it over to you to talk about what you're working on as it relates with um the McDonald's house. Thank you, sir. Thank you. My name's Wesley Snyder. Our address is 5217 North Cliff Drive, Northport, Alabama, 35473. I'm using this platform to spread awareness for the Eccles Middle School Grayson Invitational Volleyball Tournament. The Grayson Invitational is a volleyball tournament in memory of our late son Grayson Snyder. The tournament will be held at County High as well as Northport Intermediate School on September 11th and 12th. Grayson was born at DCH with an undiagnosed congenital diaphragmatic hernia. This is when the diaphragm is not properly developed, which in Grayson's case caused internal organs to shift upward where the lungs are, which means the lungs could not be developed. Grayson was immediately lifelied at a children's hospital in Birmingham where he fought for 103 days before passing away. All the proceeds of this tournament will go directly to Ronald McDonald House of Alabama. If it wasn't for the Ronald McDonald House of Alabama, we frankly would have been lost. My wife Kristen, our oldest son Fisher, and I stayed at the House during the 103 days that Grayson was in the NICU at Children's.

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