Neal Embry
The Vestavia Hills City Council hears from City Manager Jeff Downes as he gives his report at the July 9 meeting.
The Vestavia Hills City Council helped a new Cahaba Heights restaurant get one step closer to being able to serve alcohol at their new establishment.
El Zun Zun, a Latin American restaurant hoping to open Aug. 13 at 4105 Crosshaven Drive, was unanimously approved for an alcohol license by the council at the July 9 meeting. The restaurant’s leadership will now seek the approval of the license by the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.
“It’s a very exciting time,” restaurant executive Becky Satterfield said.
The council also unanimously approved an alcohol license for Vestavia Package Stores, which has come under new ownership, prompting the need for a new license.
City Manager Jeff Downes gave his report to the council, telling them he would start the budget process at next month’s meeting. Priorities for Downes in next year’s budget include supplementing the city’s gas tax revenues in order to fund infrastructure needs, as well as providing cost-of-living raises to the city’s employees.
Downes also gave a report on Gold’s Gym, telling the council the previous owners have moved out and wired the $510,000 to the city to be used for the Community Spaces plan. The city will inspect the building to ensure its safety before allowing it to be used for purposes in the transitory period before the Community Spaces plan takes full effect.
Ken Upchurch of TCU Consulting will begin regularly briefing the council next month during work sessions, Downes said.
At the next work session, slated for July 16 at 6 p.m., the council will have a transit briefing, discuss traffic calming, a public-private partnership for sidewalks on Poe and Fairhaven streets in Cahaba Heights and hear from the new municipal court director looking at pretrial diversion opportunities, Downes said.
Resident David Harwell spoke to the council about the need for more efficient trash and debris pickup in the city, especially the Tyler and Canyon road areas. While emphasizing he was not against Republic, which handles those duties for the city, Harwell said he’d like to make sure the job is being done correctly.
Mayor Ashley Curry and council members Kimberly Cook and George Pierce encouraged Harwell to use the city’s action center on the city website.
“Rest assured the action line is there and can work,” Curry said.
The council approved a resolution declaring two police vehicles as surplus and authorizing Downes to dispose of the property.
The following ordinances were read on first reading only, and no action was taken at the meeting:
- An ordinance rezoning 1557 Holly Road, lot 6, from R-2 to R-4 for construction of two single-family homes.
- An ordinance amending a previous ordinance authorizing Curry and Downes to execute and deliver an addendum to a video services agreement with AT&T of Alabama.
- An ordinance authorizing Curry and Downes to execute and deliver a supplemental agreement with Gresham Smith and partners for additional designs of a pedestrian bridge.
- A resolution to dedicate certain streets, roadways and rights-of-way in Liberty Park to the city of Vestavia Hills, subject to the provisions of a maintenance agreement (discussed below).
- An ordinance authorizing Curry and Downes to execute and deliver a maintenance agreement with Liberty Park Joint Venture following acceptance of the dedication of streets, roadways and rights-of-ways as discussed in the previous resolution.
- A resolution for the de-annexation of a portion of lot 1, Healthsouth Headquarters addition to Liberty Park in order to clear up municipal boundaries.
The resolutions pertaining to Liberty Park roadways deal with Liberty Parkway, a portion of which must be dedicated to the city in order to make it public so it may be used in conjunction with the new 700-acre development in the area.
The next council meeting is July 23 at 6 p.m.
