Latest news with #DecaturCityCouncil
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
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Improvements to begin on Flying Dragon Disc Golf Course
May 30—Hall of Fame Course Design will begin to update and improve the Flying Dragon Disc Golf Course, located at the Jack Allen Recreation Complex, next week. The Decatur City Council approved a resolution Monday to allow Mayor Tab Bowling to sign a contract with the company. Hall of Fame first provided the city with a description of the scope of work in January. "It's basically just giving the course a refresh and making it more playable and safer," said Lavone Wolfe, owner of Hall of Fame Course Design. "We hope that it will help it get a lot more use." Wolfe estimated the project will take between four and eight weeks, depending on weather conditions. The scope of work contract estimates the project's total cost to be $114,312. The city received a grant for $100,000 from Alabama Mountains, Rivers and Valleys. The additional $14,000 will come from the Community Development grant-matching budget. "We have a ton of quality of life, recreation projects going on, so I think it shows that not everything is a $52 million rec center," said Councilman Kyle Pike. "Some things are as small as a $100,000 improvement to a disc golf course." In February, the city broke ground on the new Wilson Morgan Park recreation center, the largest Parks and Recreation project in progress. Pike said the disc golf course update is another way to support the varying hobbies of Decatur residents. Wolfe will focus improvements primarily on holes 11 through 18, including walkways. Updates will include installing new concrete tee pads, refurbishing the targets, adding new signs and removing boulders. The improvements will make the course more navigable, safer and easier to play on, Wolfe said. Players have requested upgrades to the course in recent years, largely because of the difficulty seeing targets and walking through the course. "It's to the point that it really needs it," Wolfe said. Hall of Fame first installed the Flying Dragon Course in 2012. Wolfe, a Disc Golf Hall of Fame inductee, has designed or built more than 78 courses in the Southeast. Brad Phillips, Decatur's director of Information Systems, is an avid disc golfer. He enjoys traveling to different disc golf courses in the area and spoke highly of Wolfe's work. The disc golf community in north Alabama has been on the rise in recent years, Phillips said. "With (these updates), I expect the playing on that course to go way up," Wolfe said. Decatur has two other disc golf courses: the Outback, at Central Park, and Riverside, at Rhodes Ferry Park. — or 256-340-2437
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Council ready to hire planning director after final candidate couldn't interview this week
May 24—The Decatur City Council majority is ready to move on with their first choice for planning director even though Councilman Billy Jackson wants to interview another candidate. All five councilmen said Clifford Cross, director of Economic Development, Planning and Zoning in Belleville, Illinois, impressed them in his recent interview. Four said this week that they're ready to offer the job to Cross. However, Jackson asked the council on Monday to interview Chad Bowman, planning and development director for West Memphis, Arkansas. He said former Decatur Planning Director Michelle Gilliam-Jordan recommended that they consider Bowman. The rest of the City Council agreed to interview Bowman, but only if he could come to Decatur this week. They said they want to move quickly because Cross said in his interview he is considering other options. Human Resources Director Richelle Sandlin said Tuesday that Bowman informed her that he can't come to Decatur this week. She also said that Cross knows that the City Council's next regular meeting is not until June 2. Council President Jacob Ladner and fellow councilmen Hunter Pepper, Kyle Pike and Carlton McMasters said they aren't willing to wait to interview Bowman even though they can't make an official decision until the next council meeting. "If Bowman can't meet this week, my intention is to move forward with Cross," said Ladner, who added that he won't be available next week. Pike reiterated his stance that he would be OK with interviewing Bowman if it were done quickly. But, since that's not the case, he said they need to move forward with Cross. "I don't believe we should risk losing a candidate that all five council members like," Pike said. Jackson said he doesn't think the City Council should be in such a hurry, especially since the city hasn't had a planning director since 2009 and they're risking missing out on a candidate who could be a superstar. Gilliam-Jordan was the last planning director certified in planning before leaving to work in Huntsville in 2009. The director of development, whether it was Wally Terry or now Dane Shane, has supervised the department that was run by a planning manager the last 10 years. The council upgraded the position to planning director in November. "It's so important that we get absolutely the right person for that position," Jackson said. "We have interviewed a candidate who is very good in everybody's opinion, but we do have a very good candidate out there who I would like to interview, and we should do everything that we can to interview this person." Jackson said he thinks the council "shouldn't rush into this situation" even though Cross says he has other opportunities. "We should respect that and work in the quickest way that we possibly can," Jackson said. "I don't think we should rush into a decision based on his schedule versus the schedule of the citizens of Decatur." He said he doesn't have a problem with the possibility of appointing Cross. He said he just thinks it's important that the council do its due diligence in the search, and that includes an interview with Bowman. After interviewing three candidates and holding a reception for two of them, Bowman and Cross were among the five supplemental applicants added late in the selection process. Sandlin initially recommended Cross because of his 25 years in planning. She added Bowman with "reservation because of his limited scope of experience." — or 256-340-2432
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Decatur Council President Ladner won't seek reelection as District 5 councilman
May 24—One term is enough for Decatur City Council President Jacob Ladner, who announced Friday that he will not seek reelection as the District 5 councilman. Ladner said he has known for a while that he would not run and felt it was time, with the June 10 beginning of the qualifying period for the municipal election approaching, to make his announcement. "I wanted to give potential candidates time to consider whether they want to run knowing that there's an open seat," Ladner said. "Hopefully, this will get more people interested." So far, there haven't been any formal public announcements from potential candidates for District 5, located mainly between Beltline Road Southwest and Gordon Terry Parkway. Ladner said several factors went into his decision not to run again. The 39-year-old has three young, active children. He is also chief executive officer of Thirdmark Capital, a commercial finance company that's 3 years old and growing. He said former Councilman Greg Reeves gave him some advice in 2020 when he was considering running. "Greg talked about having the mentality if I won that I was not going to run again," Ladner said. "He said that would really free you up, so you don't have to worry about whether you're making the right decisions just to get reelected." Despite this mentality, he said it wasn't always definite that he would just serve one term. Mayor Tab Bowling, who has had an occasionally rocky relationship with Ladner, said he's "disappointed (with the decision) but I understand." The mayor complimented Ladner, saying he "has a good mind for business," but that working as council president takes a lot of time away from his family and company. "I know people see what goes on during Monday's council meetings, but they don't see all of the other work that goes on," Bowling said. "They don't see us working with developers or making plans for other types of quality-of-life projects." As president, Ladner has led the council during the almost 20 months of controversy following the Sept. 29, 2023, shooting death of Steve Perkins by a Decatur police officer. The controversy included criticism of Ladner by Bowling and others for continuing the often loud and rowdy public comment periods at council meetings because some felt the sessions were having a negative impact on the city. "No, that had no bearing on my decision on whether to run again or not," Ladner said. Ladner and the council majority also pushed out Todd Pinion as police chief and hired Torry Mack, who starts June 2. Sharonda Acklin, of Standing In Power, a social justice group group that has led many protests related to Perkins' death, said she's surprised that Ladner isn't running again. "We wish him the best of luck on his future endeavors," Acklin said. "I think he did the best he could with the way he knew how to do it. He was open to hearing what the community had to say regarding the state of the city, whether or not that was put into action or taken outside of the words he heard." Most recently, Ladner was criticized for pausing public comment at two council meetings and changing the public comment rules after a chaotic meeting that led to the arrest of six people in attendance. Bowling also banned the six from City Hall. "I think he did the best he knew how with everything that's going on," Acklin said. "I believe making change to the public comment was to appease his higher-ups." While he's not running again, Ladner said serving on the council for the last four and a half years "has been one of the greatest honors of my life," and he's "incredibly proud" of the accomplishments during this term. He said he is proud of how aggressive this City Council has been. He mentioned the $98 million 3M Co. lawsuit settlement, which led to the ongoing construction of the new Wilson Morgan Recreation Center and multiple recreation facilities. Bowling said he thinks the 3M settlement was the biggest accomplishment of Ladner's term. He said this set in motion Ladner's goal of making Decatur a leader in recreation again with the construction of the new sports facilities. Ladner is council liaison to Decatur Utilities, and the utility is working on ending sanitary sewer overflows with a $165 million rate increase. Previously a problem that led to state fines, the city hasn't had a rain-induced sewer overflow in more than two years. The city also made public infrastructure improvements like the new Morgan County-Decatur Farmers Market and a new downtown parking deck. The council built the deck as an incentive for a new Fairfield Inn by Marriott hotel. The council under Ladner's leadership agreed to an incentive package that is bringing GreenPoint Ag's headquarters to Lee Street Northeast. Ladner is also proud of the renewed focus on residential development. "This led to more housing growth this term than in recent memory. People are choosing to make Decatur home — an encouraging sign of the city's momentum," he said. He said that when he ran, he "wanted to change the attitude of waiting for things to happen. I hope this is a good thing, but I wanted to make things happen and change how aggressive we are." Ladner said he hopes the next administration stays aggressive in adding quality-of-life attractions to the city. "I hope it doesn't just sit around worrying about mowing the grass and paving the roads," Ladner said. "Those things need to occur, but I want them to make things happen." He said several important projects are underway and will continue beyond his term. These include the Sixth Avenue streetscape, drainage improvements at Princeton Place, widening of Modaus Road and Bunny Lane, the planned $30 million Ingalls Harbor commercial and residential development and a hoped for additional Tennessee River bridge. City leadership will change when the four-year term begins Nov. 3. Bowling is not seeking a third term. In addition to Ladner's decision, Councilman Billy Jackson is running for mayor after almost 29 years on the council. He has three announced opponents for mayor so far. District 2 Councilman Kyle Pike is running again while Councilmen Carlton McMasters (District 3) and Hunter Pepper (District 4) have not announced their decisions. District 4 has two announced candidates, Pam Werstler and Angie Thom, and District 1 has one announced candidate, Terrance Adkins. Qualifying for the municipal election is June 10-25 at the City Clerk's office. The registration fee is $50. The election is Aug. 26, with the runoff, if necessary, on Sept. 23. — or 256-340-2432
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Council interviews final candidate for planning director
May 17—Planning director candidate Clifford Cross wants to return to the South for his final years before retirement, he told the Decatur City Council on Wednesday. Cross, director of Economic Development, Planning and Zoning in Belleville, Illinois, was the final applicant to go through a public interview with the council for the planning director opening. The City Council has two applicants, Lee Terry, economic and planning director for TARCOG (Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments) in Huntsville, and Steve Hohulin, former director of Land Planning for Quiddity engineering and planning, The Woodlands, Texas, still considered candidates for the opening. The council added Cross, who like the other two is a certified planner, when it reopened the search after interviewing Terry and Hohulin and bringing them back for an informal reception. Human Resources Director Richelle Sandlin ran the interview and asked about 20 pre-scripted questions. Council members then asked follow-up questions before opening up at the end for Cross to ask any questions he might have and to make a statement. Cross, 52, has spent most of his 25-year career in Illinois, but did work two and a half years in Duluth, Georgia, as director of planning. He also worked in University City near St. Louis, Missouri. "I love the South," Cross said. "Quite honestly, you can only take so much of Illinois with everything that goes on there between Chicago and down state." Cross said he is a direct appointment of the Belleville mayor, and the mayor who appointed him lost in the recent election. He said the new mayor hasn't decided whether or not to reappoint any of the directors, so they're all working on a day-to-day basis. Cross said he expects a decision in June, but he has already made his own decision. "If she offered me the job, I would not accept," he said. Cross said he is completely vested in the retirement system, so it wouldn't benefit him financially to stay in Illinois. "This is a perfect opportunity for me to come South where I want to be to finish out my career for the next 10 to 12 years and retire," he said. "I'm done. I don't need to deal with that (getting reappointed) every four years now." Cross said his educational background and experience make him uniquely qualified for Decatur's opening. He said he's mostly worked in communities of between 25,000 and 50,000 residents. "Obviously, when you're in communities of that size you have to multitask," Cross said. "You just don't have all of the players that you need to do everything day to day." He said this has allowed him to become familiar with all aspects of planning and development, community development, housing rehabilitation, grant writing and overall economic development. Cross said he's even been a code enforcement officer, a fire marshal and a flood plain administrator. "By doing that, it's really well-rounded me in the growth-management field," Cross said. "And it's really given me that great background that I feel makes me a great candidate for the position." If hired as planning director he would be taking over a Planning Department with one planner and an administrator. Councilman Billy Jackson pointed out that the department hasn't had a certified planning director since one left in 2008, and previous councils did not fill the position. "Luckily, this council has been seen that it's an important position," Jackson said. Cross said it's important to report the department's work to the council, mayor and residents. He said he's a big believer in accountability by being structured in creating a work plan. He also believes in cross-training everyone so they know all of the jobs in the department, but he makes it clear he's the department leader. "I basically treat everything like a five-year capital improvement plan," Cross said. "I create a plan at least for a year, and then I have my quarterly reporting that shows what's working and what's not, how do we readjust it and how do we fix the problems." Cross said one of the first things he would do is go over the city's One Decatur comprehensive plan. He said communities create comprehensive plans, but then sometimes planning or development department will forget about them. "They write it because they have to and then it goes up on the shelf," he said. Cross said he doesn't believe in a static comprehensive plan. Instead, he would report annually on what's working and what's not. "You have to give the community the opportunity to comment on it, and we have to readjust it to make sure that it is continuing to meet the demands of the community," he said. On the issues of zoning and planning, Cross said he's amazed how many young planners don't know the difference between the two. He said a planner and a zoning administrator are different jobs. "Long-range planning is the vision. It's the road map of how you move forward. It's how you set policy," he said. Cross said zoning is the regulatory control, and "if you don't put those long-range plans in place, how do you get a unified cost to make sure you get where you want to be?" For example, he said short-term rentals, such as as Airbnbs, are a hot-button topic in most cities now as they are in Belleville. He said Airbnbs acted "as a camouflage" as some people were trying to get around Illinois' occupancy permit requirement. Short-term rentals create a problem for a community that wants to develop hotels as a destination for visitors. There has to be a perfect balance between the number of hotels and short-term rentals, he said. "You don't want Airbnbs ruining your opportunity to bring in a hotel," Cross said. Cross said he's "not anti-rental, but I am a supporter of a perfect balance of rental to home ownership. Renters can choose who they live next to; your homeowners cannot always choose who lives next to them." Cross said it's important to know the city's housing stock and the community's demands. For example, there are neighborhoods with dilapidated housing in which there may be some infill opportunities. He said a subdivision south of Belleville had this issue, so he contacted builders and worked with them to get it annexed. Part of the agreement included incentives such as sewer, streets and other infrastructure, he said. In Duluth, Cross said he worked on a downtown redevelopment plan in which they identified dilapidated properties within the downtown square and got them taken out even though some had environmental concerns. Cross said he's also worked on TIF (tax-incremental funding) districts to redevelop three areas of University City. These areas had a lot of old auto sales and repair shops where a Target, Costco, Chick-Fil-A and a number of other new retail businesses and restaurants now sit. Cross talked about an infill program he started in Belleville in which he sold empty lots for $1 to developers who then handled the red tape of getting finance and then building the homes. "We now have 10 new homes that are being built in neighborhoods that haven't been built in for over 25 years," he said. Council President Jacob Ladner said Thursday that he thought Cross "did a really good job with the interview," and he is impressed with Cross' planning and code enforcement experience. He said he thought they had three good candidates, and the council made the right decision in bringing in Cross. He said he thinks the City Council will discuss the next move at Monday's 10 a.m. meeting. "It's time to get this thing wrapped up," Ladner said. — or 256-340-2432
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Council to 'move forward' with Mack in police chief hunt
Apr. 22—The Decatur City Council agreed Monday to "move forward with the process" with the only candidate they've interviewed for police chief. The council instructed Human Resources Director Richelle Sandlin to begin a background check on Birmingham Police Department Capt. Torry Mack. Council President Jacob Ladner said a good result could lead to the city offering the police chief job to Mack. "They will then go forward with offering a contract as part of the process," Ladner said. Sandlin also reported she received two more applications for planning director. She said she hopes that she can schedule interviews in the coming weeks. The application period for Parks and Recreation recently closed. The Youth Services director's application period closes April 30. Ladner said he hopes Sandlin will have background check results on Mack finished by the council's April 28 work session. The city received 18 applicants seeking to replace former chief Todd Pinion, who stepped down in March. The council chose to interview three of six candidates recommended by Sandlin, and two of them withdrew from consideration. Mack was the only candidate to interview Wednesday at Turner-Surles Recreation Center. The City Council interviewed the 30-year veteran of Birmingham PD for almost two hours. He is division manager of Special Operations, which includes tactical operations like SWAT, K-9, explosives, Crime Suppression Unit and snipers. He also has served on special enforcement, a crime-reduction team, an intelligence unit and a recon unit. He also previously was director of Birmingham PD's training program, did a short stint in Internal Affairs and worked in SWAT. However, he has never been a police chief. Mack had a 21-year military career in the U.S. Army and obtained the rank of master sergeant. "I thought Mack did a really good job on his interview," Ladner said. "His resume speaks for itself." Ladner estimated that close to 20 people who worked for Mack or supervised him reached out to him with "a lot of really good feedback." Among those supporters are members of the Standing In Power group. Councilman Billy Jackson said he's good with moving forward with the hiring process. "If it works out that he gets the nod through the process, I don't have any reservations about Mr. Mack at all," Jackson said. "We can always try to turn over everything that we possibly can, but I have no doubts about things we've experienced and seen from him." Councilman Kyle Pike said he appreciates Mack's continued interest in the Decatur Police Department's chief opening when other people were dropping out. "I thought last week he showed a great deal of leadership," Pike said. "He showed his ability to support his department and allow them to do what they're supposed to do. Without a doubt he has the law enforcement background, but he showed Wednesday his leadership ability and his willingness to work with others." Councilman Carlton McMasters said he's OK with moving forward with a background check on Mack, but he still wants to interview a second candidate. He pointed out the city is still accepting applications for police chief. Sandlin said she received two more last week, but they did not meet the qualifications for the police chief opening. "Capt. Mack had a really good interview, but in an ideal situation we would interview more than one person," McMasters said. "We may not have the luxury of an ideal situation, if we don't get any more (qualified) applicants." Councilman Hunter Pepper was absent from Monday's meeting. — or 256-340-2432
