By Crystal McGough, Editor
TRUSSVILLE – The Trussville City Council recognized the promotion of Police Capt. David Morrette to the position of Deputy Chief at the council’s regular meeting on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.
The Deputy Chief position was recently created and Morrette is the first to hold this title in the city of Trussville.
“The police department continues to grow, and along with that growth comes the need for new positions and new responsibilities,” Police Chief Eric Rush said. “With this being a new position, I first want to thank the mayor and city council for allowing me to create this position and fill it. … The Deputy Chief role is one that is right under me; reports directly to me. We’ve never had one in Trussville, so Capt. Morrette will be the first Deputy Chief in the Trussville Police Department ever. He will always have that distinction.”
Additionally, the council recognized firefighter Evan Massey on his promotion to Fire Lieutenant. Massey was not present at the meeting.
“Firefighter/paramedic Evan Massey has been promoted to Fire Lieutenant,” Councilor Alan Taylor said. “When we see him, we want to make sure that we congratulate him. That’s, again, well deserved. Evan does a great job for our city.”
The council also approved a proclamation honoring the 7A State Softball Champion HTHS Huskies.
“We really appreciate you guys recognizing us and recognizing the girls for their hard work,” Coach Taylor Burt said. “That’s definitely why we’re sitting here, because they work extremely, extremely hard.”
Under the consent agenda, the council unanimously approved a single item, a business development agreement with Steel Hall Brewing.
During the pre-council workshop, Councilor Ben Short explained the agreement in more detail.
“If y’all recall, it’s been a little bit of time now, Steel Hall initially came to us requesting some assistance from the city for their project. To the best of my recollection, we told them to build it and come back to us, and we had discussed reimbursing them to what, I believe, was a third of their receipts and invoices that they provided to prove that those were the actual expenses. They have provided those (in a total of $526,141). So, a third of that would equate to roughly $175,000.”
This item was added to the consent agenda and will be officially approved pending the formation of legal documentation formalizing the agreement.
“That is the face of the whole Entertainment District … and it was almost blighted the way it looked unoccupied,” Mayor Buddy Choat said. “They did what they said they’d do … and it looks great.”
Councilor Jaime Anderson announced the 2023 Trussville Beautification Award winners. They are as follows:
- Best Home Landscaping Design: 1st place – Jim Meads; 2nd place – Jan Monski
- Best Use of Color: 1st place – Billy and Jayne Morrison; 2nd place – Charles Varner
- Best Business: 1st place – Steel Hall; 2nd place – Edgar’s
- Best Turf: 1st place – Dianne Bobo; 2nd place – Jim and Monica Kimbrough
- Best Home Overall: 1st place – Dr. Brian Gray; 2nd place – Kristi Ennis
In other business, the council:
- Approved Resolution 2023-35, engaging Engineering Design Group to perform surveying services of a portion of Glendale Farms not currently possessed by the city
- Approved Resolution 2023-36, awarding a big to construct Fire Station No. 5 to Murray Building Company Inc.
- Held a first reading of an ordinance to annex 6278 Service Road
- Held a first reading of an ordinance to annex 7000 and 7054 Happy Hollow Road
The next meeting of the Trussville City Council will be June 22, 2023, immediately following a 5 p.m. work session that same day.