Mountain Brook City Council approves Ice House, moves smoking ordinance

One of the biggest issues in Mountain Brook - parking - struck again at the City Council meeting on September 12. 

During the pre-meeting, council members voted against allowing MPower Pilates to offer an additional class time at 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. due to limited amount of parking spaces available for other tenants. After observing the area at 2419 Canterbury Road, Dana Hazen, director of planning, building and sustainability, determined that there were approximately only seven open spaces during those allotted class times, all of which would have been filled due to potential classes. 

Another business in question, Ice House, was approved after going before the council requesting changes making the restaurant more dinner-oriented. 

Formerly Biscuit Boy, owner Tom Sheffer is changing his breakfast spot on Culver Road into a Texas-style barbecue restaurant that will cater to guests looking for a quick bite to eat. Councilman Billy Pritchard voiced concerns about patronage and parking, however Hazen noted that at any given time there were about 30 open parking spaces within walking distance to the restaurant. In the end, the council approved Sheffer’s requests, 4-1.

During normal council, members altered the smoking ordinance consideration to a first hearing and chose to move the consideration to the following city council meeting. Members hope to vote on this issue in two weeks. The council also adopted the city’s budget for the 2017 fiscal year, which would leave the city with $766,000 in surplus. 

On September 12, the council also:

• Approved the resolution authorizing the right-of-way agreement, the preliminary engineering agreement and the utility and construction agreement between the City and the Alabama Department of Transportation regarding the Old Brook Trail Bridge and the Canterbury Road Bridge
• Approved the resolution authorizing the execution of the APPLE-funded Mountain Brook Sidewalks Feasibility Study
• Discussed the Watkins Branch pedestrian bridge and sidewalk connections and the bridge of Shades Creek in Jemison Park
• Approved an Early Retirement Window, allowing eligible retirees access to the city’s medical insurance program after 20 years of service within the city
• Moved to amend the resolution regarding public requests for traffic island beautification to include entranceways for the Williamsburg Circle entrance
• Declared September 17- 23 “Constitution Week”
• Declared September “Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month”
• Approved the resolution appointing Kelly Hulsey and Elizabeth Poyner to the Tree Commission, to serve without compensation through September 12, 2019
• Approved the resolution appointing Penny Page and Max Pullman to the Emmet O’Neal Library Board, to serve without compensation through October 30, 2020
• Approved a resolution rejecting all bids concerning the construction of a new public safety training building
• Approved the resolution allowing Richard Riley Simpson to perform moisture abatement exploration services at the Emmet O’Neal Library under Bradfield & Gorrie
• Approved the sale or disposition of surplus property
• Approved the settlement agreement with respect to the Alabama Furniture Market, LLC v. the City of Alabaster, et. al.
• Approved the professional services of construction, engineering and inspection to be performed by Sain Associates with regards to the Phase 9 sidewalk project
• Approved the execution of an auditing services addendum to the master agreement between the City and the Public Resource Management Alliance Corporation regarding the City’s tax and license administration
• Carried over the resolution to authorize the renewal of two ground leases with regards to the English Village public parking lots to the next meeting
• Approved the professional services agreement between the City and Gresham, Smith & Partners for the design and administration of the Caldwell Mill Road bridge reconstruction
• Approved the ordinance increasing the city manager’s salary by 1.5 percent, effective October 4
• Approved the resolution increasing the salary schedule for all classified and unclassified employees by 1.5 percent, effective October 4, and increasing the compensation for contract security services for the City’s Public Works facilities
• Approved the amendment of the City Code regarding open houses, home tours and special events in residential zoning districts
• Approved the amendment of Chapter 14 of the City Code to increase the building permit fee for non-residential construction permits by $1 per $1,000 of construction value
• Approved the request for $2,100 in funding by Dr. Richard Craig for the Jefferson-Blount-St. Clair Mental Health Authority
• Approved the health and dental insurance cost for the following year

The next regular Mountain Brook City Council meeting will take place on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.