Council appoints Powell to BOE

The Vestavia Hills City Council appointed David Powell to the Vestavia Hills Board of Education Monday night in an unanimous vote.

Powell will take the seat on the board vacated by Shera Grant, and will attend his first board meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 24.

Mayor Butch Zaragoza said the council interviewed 13 people last Wednesday for the position, and that the council was glad to see so many citizens putting their name forward.

“I want to say thank you,” Zaragoza said. “It was a busy day, a busy, busy day, but it’s good to see our citizens getting involved.”

Zaragoza encouraged those who interviewed but were not chosen to continue to try to be involved.

“Don’t get discouraged,” he said.

He said there will be another opening on the board for a five-year term, and the opening will be announced at the first Council meeting in March. Additionally, Zaragoza encouraged citizens to consider positions on the library and parks and recreation boards as well.

Powell, who is the vice president of marketing and strategic development at TekLinks, said he was happy to serve.

Other Council Business:

• Mayor Zaragoza proclaimed Feb. 26 – 28 National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend. Local Girl Scouts provided the Council with boxes of cookies, of which Councilor Pierce claimed the Samoas.
• Mayor Zaragoza proclaimed March 2016 to be both Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and Auto-Immune Diseases Awareness Month.
• The council approved amendments to the rules and regulations of Wald Park, Liberty Park Sports Complex, Little Shades Creek Park, Vestavia Hills Athletic Complex Cahaba Heights, Byrd Park, Shallowford Park, Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex and Meadowlawn Park. The amendments recognized the Alabama Attorney General’s opinion that the City could not prohibit fire arms in parks, made alcohol rules standard across all parks and defined hours of operation. The amendments also officially named several of the parks.
• The Council approved annexation of 1724 Vestaview Lane, 2738 Rocky Ridge Road, 3425 Jones Drive, 2510 and 2512 Dolly Ridge Road, 2611 Alta Vista Circle, 2425 Kenvil Circle and 4705 Caldwell Mill Road.
• The Council authorized an agreement with ALDOT for the Jefferson County project at Crosshaven Drive and Green Valley Road.
• The Council authorized an agreement with Caprine, Williams, Blackstock and Brailsford and Dunlavey for their services as part of phase three of the Wald Park Master Plan.