Council announces promotions to captain, happenings at City Hall

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Two Vestavia Hills Police Department lieutenants were recognized by the Vestavia Hills City Council Monday as City Manager Jeff Downes announced their promotion to captain.

Kevin York and Jason Hardin will officially transition from their current ranks and duties to those of captain on Friday, April 1, but Downes said he and the council wanted to officially recognize them at the meeting.

During the council’s consideration of a resolution to appoint an election manager for 2016, Mayor Butch Zaragoza announced he will be running for re-election in the Aug. 23 vote. Normally, Zaragoza said, the state dictates that the mayor serves as the election manager, but because of his candidacy, the council voted to designate City Clerk Rebecca Leavings as the election manager.

Downes also briefed the council on technological updates at city hall. Monday’s meeting was a test-run for audio and video recordings of future meetings, which will hopefully be available on the city’s website in the near future.

Additionally, Downes said the city’s guest wireless Internet access went live in the last few days, and is available throughout the city hall grounds. He added that the IT department is working to determine the possibility of having wireless access throughout the city’s public spaces, including parks and athletics complexes.

“[It’s] access like we’ve never had before,” Downes said.

Additional Council Business Included:

  • The council approved a conditional-use request for 854 Vestlake Drive to allow James Sumner, owner, to operate an ethics-consulting business from his home.
  • A residual rezoning need from the 1992 annexation of 2834 and 2838 Acton Place was approved.
  • The council voted to approve funding for the purchase of two undercover police vehicles for the narcotics unit of the Police Department.
  • The council voted to declare one of the Fire Department’s defibrillators as surplus property, in order for the department to return the unit to the manufacturer for a discount on a new unit.
  • The council approved a resolution accepting a bid for the trail stage of the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex renovation.
  • The council approved an agreement with Jefferson County for elections services for the 2016 municipal election.
  • The council voted, with unanimous consent, to enter into a $10,000 agreement with the Greater Birmingham Human Society as the beginning of a solution for the feral cat problem in Cahaba Heights.