The Auburn City Council met Tuesday, April 16, to an array of teachers and Boy Scouts.
The Council and Mayor Bill Ham began the meeting in recognition of the Teachers of the Year from the Auburn City Schools: Leah Shope, Auburn Early Education Center; Sandra Beisel, Cary Woods Elementary School; Sherri Shiver, Dean Road Elementary School; Montasha Preston, Ogletree Elementary School; Amber DeBlanc, Richland Elementary School; Dotsy Carter, Wrights Mill Road Elementary School; Heather Taylor, Yarbrough Elementary School; Jenny Ferguson, Drake Middle School; Tabitha Geiger, Auburn Junior High School; Matt York, Auburn High School.
DeBlanc was also recognized as Elementary Teacher of the Year. York was as well recognized as Secondary Teacher of the Year.
In Citizen's Communications, Stan Reeves spoke regarding laws about BB guns, bow and arrows and slingshots. As of now these weapons aren't permitted by City Ordinance. Reeves sees how his otherwise law-abiding neighbors are using these items and he said his five sons grow restless with jealousy. He believes it difficult to teach them to obey the law, while allowing them to have fun. Bob Norman, of Ward 8, voiced concerns with the law being universally broken.
"I want to see the ordinance loosened a little bit to allow for basic boy activities in the yard," Reeves said.
Reeves' argument included referencing a city ordinance change from Auburn, Nebraska that allows shooting "a non-explosive projectile - bow and arrow, slingshot - as along as the projectile comes to rest on your property," Reeves said. "And I thought that made sense."
The Council established an amendment instituting a stock district and rural district. The stock district prohibits "the keeping or maintaining of horses, mules, cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, fowl, or any other such animal," according to the council's E-packet. In the rural district mules, cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, fowl or any such animal is allowed on lots of three acres or more. Horses are allowed outside stock district on lots of two acres or more and are limited to one horse per acre.
The stock district's limits include AL Highway 267 to Saugahatchee Road, reaching Bent Creek Road and along E. University Drive and Shug Jordan Parkway.
"The whole idea is we want to make sure that our animal control officers and police officers can enforce against people who are committing cruelty to animals and if there is suspicion of rabies," said City Manager Charles Duggan.
The penalties for mistreatment are up to $500 per incident and up to six months in jail.
In other news:
* The Sales Tax Holiday passed for Friday, August 2, to Sunday, August 4.
"This might be the fourth year they are doing it, but the state passed a law saying that we can declare a tax holiday for back-to-school," Duggan said.
* An ordinance passed to put up stop signs on East Lake Boulevard at Alex Avenue, Marie Loop at East Lake Boulevard, Alysa Court at East Lake Boulevard, East Lake Boulevard at Lee Road 106 and Ashley Court at Shelton Cove Lane. They also placed two 25 mph signs on East Lake Boulevard.
* Also enacted were aspects of the "Pedestrian Enhancements Project" which will install pedestrian crossing signals at Opelika Road and Ross Street. Part of the project is the Drake Avenue Sidewalk Project. It will create sidewalks on Drake Avenue from College Street to Gay Street and a sidewalk on Ross Street from Opelika Road to Drake Avenue, sidewalks on Drake Avenue from Ross Street to Perry Street and sidewalks on Sanders Street, which will include a pedestrian bridge near Norwood Avenue. The projects will be funded with 80 percent federal funds and 20 percent city funds.
"We applied to the Alabama Department of Transportation and they have a program for these transportation grants and so they looked at all of these and they're funding and they funded all these projects," Duggan said.
* City of Auburn passed a contract with Hudmon Construction Company, Inc. for $711,788.55 for the Phase I Downtown Parking Project.
* The City gave D & J Enterprises, Inc. $2,766,299.09 for the Streets Resurfacing and Subdivisions Completion Project.
The streets being resurfaced are: Carter Street, Cary Drive (Traffic Circle to N Donahue Drive), Cary Drive (Traffic Circle to Hickory Lane), Casey Avenue, Comanche Drive, Cross Creek Road, Delwood Drive, Forestdale Drive, Harper Avenue, Heard Avenue, Hickory Woods Drive, Indian Hills Road, Miller Avenue (Armstrong Street to Gay Street), Miller Avenue (College Street to Gay Street, North Cary Drive, Orchard Circle, Perry Street, Persimmon Drive, Placid Wood Road, Rustic Ridge Road, Sehoy Circle, Serentity Circle, South Cary Drive, Talheim Drive, Thach Avenue, Webster Road, Whisper Ridge Road and intersections Glenn Avenue and Dean Road, Glenn Avenue and East University Drive, North College Street and Drake Avenue and South College Street.
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