City Council takes next step in proposed school zone cell phone ordinance
The Mountain Brook City Council on Monday night heard suggestions from Dr. Dale Wisely, Director of Student Services for Mountain Brook Schools, on establishing a no cell phone zone around city schools.
Wisely’s presentation follows earlier recommendations from the council to form a group to discuss the potential ordinance. In January, Wisely came before the council to express concerns about parents and drivers in the area talking on their cellphones while driving within close proximity to schools. The drivers, said Wisely, were distracted and therefore a safety risk to children and parents walking to school and waiting in the car pool areas.
The proposed ordinance, presented at the May 9 meeting, would prohibit the use of cellphones while operating a motor vehicle in school zones between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. and then again between the hours of 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. The ordinance would also prohibit the use of cellphones while pedestrians, minors in particular, are visible in school zones.
In order to properly establish “school zones,” the council on Monday approved an agreement with Skipper Consulting to conduct morning and afternoon observations of traffic flows and the impact of cellphones on traffic flows at each of the city’s six school zones within the city. Skipper Consulting will also review crash reports for each school zone from the previous three years and analyze the reports to determine if cellphone use was a factor in any crashes. Skipper will then meet with school staff at each school before presenting its findings to the council.
At its meeting, the council also:
- Heard a presentation on the Dangerous Buildings Program by Ben Goldman of Hand Arendall, LLC. The council voted to relay the presentation over to its own counsel for review. The program, should it be adopted, would streamline the remedial and demolishment processes for unsafe buildings within city limits.
- Considered a “no right turn” sign on the Highway 280 ramp at Cahaba Road. Mayor Terry Oden said the area often sees traffic congestion. The council took no action on the item, and instead voted to have the area further evaluated.
- Heard concerns from Ridgecrest Road resident Mark Drummond on high school parking issues in the area. Drummond said students often park in the cul-de-sac before school and after hours as an area to drink and hang out. Council Pro Tem Billy Pritchard suggested Drummond speak with neighbors about their concerns for the area as well as possibly remedies. The council will hold a public hearing on the issue at its next meeting.
- City Manager Sam Gaston presented the council with meeting dates and times regarding the fiscal year 2017 budget.
- Heard a semi-annual report from the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce. Pritchard said the job the chamber has done in recent years is “unbelievable.” In his 16 years with the city, Pritchard said the work the council does today has improved dramatically.
- Passed a resolution accepting the professional services proposal submitted by Williamson & Associates with respect to the library building exterior consulting services. The council added a $10,000 cap to the initial work. Anything above the initial cap will have to be approved.
- Passed a resolution accepting the professional services proposal submitted by William Whittaker, Architect, with respect to design services for the joint fire and police training building.
- Awarded a bid for the turn lane extension on Overbrook Road at Montevallo Road.
The next regular meeting of the Mountain Brook Council will be held May 23 at 7 p.m. in the council chamber of City Hall, 56 Church Street.