By Erica Thomas, managing editor
TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville City Council-Elect held its first workshop on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020. The purpose of the meeting was to prepare for the first official meeting, which will be an organizational meeting, of the new council on Monday, Nov. 2, 2020.
Outgoing Council President Zack Steele was in attendance to call the meeting to order.
Plans for the organizational meeting were made during the workshop. Items that will be considered include installing the new council, appointing a Council President, appointing a Municipal Judge and appointing a City Attorney and City Clerk.
Pastor Mike Ennis will present the invocation at the meeting and Boy Scouts Troup 216 is scheduled to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
During the workshop, Councilman Perry Cook suggested Alan Taylor as the new Council President.
“Because of knowledge and experience and history and old age, I would like to see Alan be nominated for the first year,” said Cook.
The council will elect a new Council President on an annual basis.
Council member-elect Ben Short suggested Perry Cook be appointed the Council President Pro-Tempore.
There will not be a vote on the matter until Monday.
Mayor Buddy Choat asked the City Council-Elect to consider appointing Dan Weinrib as City Clerk. Weinrib is currently the City Clerk for the city of Tarrant.
Current Trussville City Clerk Lynn Porter said she has been asked to leave and she has accepted a part-time job with the city of Springville.
“This wasn’t my plan and in my heart, I would like to stay,” said Porter.
Although Porter was not planning to retire at this time, she said she wants to leave peacefully.
“This has been really tough on me,” Porter said. “I have never dreaded coming to work until the last six weeks…I’ve slowly come to grips with it and I have done my level best to not be an embarrassment to the city or to myself and I don’t want to start that now. I think what’s in my best interest and what’s in the city’s best interest is to bow-out gracefully rather than start a roo-haha.”
Porter also said the appointment of Weinrib will be a great opportunity for him. City Council members have been invited to meet Weinrib Monday morning. The job was posted by the Jefferson County Personnel Board and Choat said Weinrib is a well-qualified candidate.
Choat also asked the council to re-appoint Carl Chamblee to a two-year term as part-time Municipal Judge.
“He [Chamblee] will be the second-longest-running Municipal Judge in the state,” said Choat. “He’s in line with Trussville as far as what we want our courts to do.”
Chamblee has been the city’s judge since 1984.
The council will also adopt an ordinance for rules of procedure and will establish city council workshops and meetings.
Mayor Choat will appoint council members as liaisons to committees and he will make Planning and Zoning Board appointments during the Monday meeting. He said he has chosen Ben Short for P&Z, Design Review and Telecommunications. Alan Taylor will likely be appointed to Utilities, Finance, Public Safety and the Chamber of Commerce. Choat said he is looking to appoint Jaime Melton-Anderson to Library, ACTA, Historical and Beautification Boards. Lisa Bright will likely go to the Industrial Board, the Board of Education and Public Works. Choat would also like to see Perry Cook on Parks and Recreation, Senior Advisory, Inspections and the new Tree Commission.
Choat said he will also appoint Wayne Sullivan and Kris Reeves to P&Z as his administrative and mayoral appointments, respectively.
The council’s organizational meeting will be held in the fireside room at the Trussville Civic Center at 6 p.m. Monday.
