City Council President Billy Pritchard
A Mountain Brook meeting about at-home businesses will be rescheduled because misinformation was accidentally disseminated.
During the pre-council meeting, officials acknowledged that the meeting was announced to be on April 25 instead of Wednesday, Feb. 25. City Manager Steve Boone lobbied that the meeting go on as planned as notices had been sent to residents.
“Yes, there was a miscommunication in the agenda as far as that work session,” Boone said. “I would recommend that you proceed with the scheduled meeting. We sent notices out. There [are] close to 30 people. Most of the 30 were home occupation license holders. A few of them were known objectors to their neighbors running those businesses.
“I would say [to] have the work the work session [and] work through some of the details,” the city manager said. “You may go back to the drawing board on some things at some future date. It’s going to hit the agenda and that will be a time for public comments. You could do a public reading, and then you do another one. There will be plenty of time for the other people in the community that may have opinions on this matter to come and be informed and input their two cents.”
Council President Billy Pritchard did not agree.
“I strongly believe that we need to make an error in notification, and there are people other than those that are directly affected that have an interest in this,” he said. “I think we can postpone it a week ... and just re-notice that. I just don't think it's [the] way to run a railroad to tell people it's in April and then, all of a sudden, the meeting takes place two days later.”
Following Monday’s meeting, Boone explained the purpose of the work session.
“We're looking at regulating them. That's the question,” the city manager said. “Some of the home occupations have heavier traffic than what might be intended for a residential neighborhood and there [are] some complaints by neighbors. The Council's looking at regulations that might tighten that up and make it more difficult to get a home occupation license, but that's all under evaluation.”
During the City Council meeting, the Council heard from Lloyd Peeples, a candidate for the District 48 Alabama House seat. Mayor Graham Smith also presented a proclamation making March Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
The Council approved hemp product licenses for the Piggly Wiggly stores at Crestline and River Run. Becky Holt abstained.
In other action, the Council:
- Appointed Stutts Everette and David Blackmon to the Two Village Design Review Board.
- Appointed Philip Young to the Greater Alabama 310 Board, which was formerly the Jefferson County Intellectual and Developmental Disability Authority.
- Accepted the land surveying proposal with Bailey Land Group for 4274 Old Leeds Road.
The next regular meeting of the City Council is on March 9 at 7 p.m.
