Calls for citywide mask mandate come at City Council meeting

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After not convincing the Vestavia Hills Board of Education to institute a mask mandate in the school system, a group of parents and residents attended and spoke to the Vestavia Hills City Council at the Aug. 9 meeting, hoping to see them institute a citywide mask mandate.

It is unclear whether a citywide mask mandate would affect school facilities.

The city’s communications director, Cinnamon McCulley, issued the following statement following the meeting:

“In deference to the residents who spoke during the citizen comment portion of tonight’s City Council meeting, the elected officials, along with City staff, look forward to receiving their written requests and evaluating as warranted. The City of Vestavia Hills will continue to follow mask mandates as issued by the Jefferson County and State of Alabama Public Health Officers. All previous health orders have expired but, if a mask mandate is reissued, we will comply as directed.”

Katie Roach, who helped lead efforts to ask the Board of Education questions at their meeting earlier on Aug. 9, said the board has “ignored” doctors and is failing “miserably and spectacularly.”

“Our BOE has ignored guidelines they have received from organizations ranging from CDC to ADPH to over 30 local pediatricians, to our esteemed infectious disease experts at UAB,” Roach said. “They all say the best way we can keep our children safe is universal masking. What we need is universal masking. It is not the BOE recommending masks to parents. The BOE is charged with leading and making our school safe, and they are failing miserably and spectacularly.”

While no comment was taken at the Board of Education meeting, which was called for the purpose of approving personnel items, Whit McGhee, director of public relations for VHCS, said Superintendent Todd Freeman, along with Assistant Superintendents Aimee Rainey and Patrick Martin, all stayed for an hour after the meeting to talk to concerned residents individually and as a group.

Brian Malcom said he did not accept that the council could do nothing.

“This council can, as you have acknowledged, implement and impose an ordinance,” Malcolm said. “You can do it in a limited fashion. You can say children under 12 need to be masked. Revisit it every 14 days.

“Our Board of Education has failed us. They have absolutely failed some of the most vulnerable members of our population,” Malcolm said.

Mayor Ashley Curry told residents they had to abide by the three minute rule and called for an adjournment to the meeting after three speakers, saying there was no need to belabor the point that had been made. He encouraged those who wanted to make their voices heard to write to the council and said that it could be possible to have the issue taken up at a future meeting.

In other news, the council approved a joint project with Jefferson County to improve the intersection of Crosshaven Drive and Green Valley Road, which will include adding turn lanes, modifying the traffic signal and making the intersection more functional for higher volumes of traffic. The county will pay the city $2.8 million to have the city’s contractor, Tortorigi Construction, perform the work, so as to get it done faster than it would going through the Alabama Department of Transportation.

City Manager Jeff Downes introduced his fiscal year 2022 budget proposal to the council at the meeting as well, emphasizing an additional $4.2 million in city money to address the city’s needs compared to last year’s budget. Budget highlights include the funding of additional police and fire personnel, the resurfacing of roughly nine miles of residential streets, and stormwater pipe replacement. Upgrades are also slated for the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest and the Liberty Park Athletic Complex, Downes said.

Raynor Boles with TCU Consulting provided an update on the Community Spaces Plan, including news that the dog park at the New Merkel House had to be redone due to the grass sinking in during maintenance work. Wald Park Phase Two, he said, is wrapping up, while work to reduce the price of Phase Three continues.

At the Vestavia Hills Civic Center (previously known as the community building), Boles said due to delays in acquiring construction materials, it likely won’t be delivered by Nov. 10.

“We can’t get windows; we can’t get handrails,” Boles said. “Our job is to keep our finger on it and know where things are.”

The council also approved the emergency work to repair a failed pipe on Oakview Lane, at a price “not to exceed” $119,000. The pipe failure resulted in a cave-in that has come into the roadway, rendering it impossible for there to be two cars on that portion of the road, a two-way road, at the same time.

In other business, the council:

  • Approved a temporary construction easement for the Parkside at Dolly Ridge project, where the developer will finish building an access road that will help both them and the city, Downes said.
  • Approved annexations for 2429 Altadena Road, as well as 2625 and 2621 Red Bull Lane.
  • Approved a resolution authorizing Downes to expend additional funding for bathroom renovations at Fire Station 3, in the amount of $38,750.
  • Approved alcohol license for both First Watch and Liquor Shop.
  • Introduced an ordinance rezoning 3164 Belwood Drive from multifamily zoning to planned residential district for the construction of five townhomes. That case will be heard at an upcoming meeting.