Council reinstates incentive agreement for Serra Automotive Group
In exchange for Serra Automotive Group granting right-of-way access to the city of Vestavia Hills for its Massey Road improvement project, the city council on Nov. 13 reinstated an incentive agreement to be given to the business that will pay about $232,000 to the newly-resurrected car dealership.
The incentive agreement was originally approved in 2012, but when Serra closed their location on lower U.S. 31 in 2014 due to flooding, the agreement was paused. Serra is set to spend about $750,000 to raise their business one foot above the floodplain, and is hoping to reopen their business sometime next spring, the group’s lawyer Alton Parker told the council. About $232,000 of the original incentive agreement has yet to be paid out, leaving Serra to pay the rest of their construction costs.
The city is set, in conjunction with the Alabama Department of Transportation, to improve Massey Road, but needs to acquire various rights-of-way to complete the project, a substantial portion of which lies on Serra’s property. The business will grant right-of-way access to the city in exchange for the city reinstating the incentive agreement. City Manager Jeff Downes said the city would maintain right-of-way even if Serra was to sell the property.
Parker said the dealership is nearing the end of its construction stage, and will specialize in one to 3-year old high-end used cars.
In his report to the council, Downes said the city ended the 2019 fiscal year with a $1.5 million surplus in its general fund. Downes proposed splitting that $1.5 million between the general fund and the capital fund, with the roughly $745,000 in the capital fund helping pay for the city’s portion (20%) of ALDOT projects like Massey Road and the pedestrian bridge.
The council also approved an ordinance authorizing an agreement between the city and the Vestavia Hills Board of Education allowing school resource officers, who are employed by the city, to access the school’s live feed security system.
As part of the Community Spaces plan, new athletic fields are being built in Cahaba Heights. The council voted to rename the athletic complex “Cahaba Heights Park.”
The city’s 2020 budget calls for the purchase of several police cars, and in order to expedite the process, the council approved a resolution authorizing Downes to reach an agreement with the North Alabama Cooperative Purchasing Association, which will act as the purchasing agent for the vehicles.
In other business, the council:
- Approved the vacation of lot lines and utility easements at Meadowlawn Estates. The utility easements are no longer needed, Downes said.
- Approved the 90-day and overnight annexations of 2312 St. Joseph Road and 2637 Alta Glen Drive.
- Approved an ordinance allowing Level 3 Communications to construct and maintain a fiber-optic transmission line within certain public rights-of-way within the city.
- Approved moving a council meeting in December from Dec. 23 to Dec. 16 due to the Christmas holidays.
- Approved a resolution allowing employees to use Roth contributions to contribute to the city’s deferred compensation plan.
- Approved a resolution authorizing Downes to enter into agreements to obtain water main extensions and three fire hydrants at Wald Park.
Items placed on first read, meaning they will be brought up at a future council meeting, include:
- A resolution providing Tier I benefits to Tier II employees.
- An ordinance amending the city’s code of ordinances to create new regulations for food trucks operating in city limits.