[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6473249,"mediaKeyId","5753706-1a8723cdfe3787618780153442e1d587","parentId",5753706,"title","Athens City Council approves consent calendar, sales‑tax holiday exemption, tax vendor renewal and grants","audioSeconds",5038,"startMs",616000,"endMs",5654000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5753706-1a8723cdfe3787618780153442e1d587&start=616&end=5654","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5753706-1a8723cdfe3787618780153442e1d587/thumbnail_616000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6473249/Athens-City/Limestone-County/Alabama/Athens-City-Council-approves-consent-calendar-salestax-holiday-exemption-tax-vendor-renewal-and-grants","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6473249-9dee0386a79b45d9f80657831fc868d6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771029059&Signature=fji8aSaHAIA-6zX39W4nSaEYR8Tbln1XNhuBZe~3DdA0flUnxKNTafxcbcHc9qA7aSmFRQ2B3O0PjLoUZ5MouDi-lFrWXnwXgYA~-WzPg20UqaqSREq9eNYNLdtOArew~7X3oGH8iiYenZZP-DUuNmDJrmQofFa8DIXS2XSqYVo6zYR-6ORn09Gw2UacXGrNhezpqiMqKHfJotrhPLwiJE5VQRszL6fQL7DU4OSbfzkRWO1VcMkAkxQx2~DcqGthPqYCNZ5~aA1xzNJ-cKyAzCIEDJ~PXhkCfNWw2YAI71IP0esRr-giPzwgzUIw0V-0oyLwGFhnzFA00~AJrpULWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Athens City, AL","date","2025-09-10T00:00:00Z","article","The Athens City Council on Sept. 8 approved its consent calendar and several separate items including equipment purchases for the electric department, a fiber contract, renewal of a tax revenue enhancement agreement, a sales‑tax holiday ordinance, and grant applications for road and sewer work.

On the consent calendar the council approved: travel expenses for electric department personnel totaling $183.08; purchase of a Canon image scanner/plotter from LIOCE Group (Huntsville) for $14,301.59 funded from the electric department FY26 capital expense budget; purchase of an Altec AT41M 4x4 with Ford F600 cab and chassis from Global Railroad/Altec vendor for $198,466 (transcript figures vary on formatting); and purchase of a 14‑foot low profile dump trailer from Big Tex Trailer World for $10,337.50 funded from the electric department FY26 capital expense budget. The consent calendar passed on roll call 5‑0.

Council also approved a resolution authorizing the electric department manager to award the Highway 99 fiber project contract to Delta Services LLC in the amount of $198,605, with associated costs charged to the electric department FY26 capital expense fund; that measure passed 5‑0.

The council authorized renewal of the city’s tax revenue enhancement agreement with Avenue Insights and Analytics LLC (formerly RDS) for three years to provide administration, remittance processing, compliance and reporting services, with the agreement effective 09/01/2025; the vote was 5‑0.

The council passed an ordinance to exempt certain covered items from municipal sales and use tax during the last weekend of February 2026 as authorized by Act 2012‑256 (the state severe weather preparedness sales tax holiday). After a motion to suspend the rules, the ordinance passed on roll call 5‑0.

The council approved reimbursement to Councilman Chris Seibert in the amount of $3,250 for tuition to Leadership Alabama (class XXXV). On the roll call for that reimbursement, Seibert abstained; the motion passed with four yeas and one abstention.

The council also voted to approve amendments to the Grove at South Jefferson master development plan and to allow the mayor to submit grant applications to the State of Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs requesting Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds of $300,000 and ARC funds of $300,000 for sewer and road improvements (project at M Street and Lucas Ferry Road). The city will provide a local cash match that the meeting record lists as $288,867.80 in the resolution text; earlier work‑session language listed $288,806.07. Council approved the grant application resolution by roll call 5‑0.

Votes were recorded on roll call for each item; most passed unanimously. Where the transcript recorded an abstention it is noted above.

Votes at a glance:
- Consent calendar (multiple purchases): approved 5‑0.
- Ordinance exempting certain items from municipal sales and use tax (Feb. 2026 weekend; Act 2012‑256): approved 5‑0.
- Delta Services LLC — Highway 99 fiber contract ($198,605): approved 5‑0.
- Avenue Insights & Analytics LLC renewal (three years): approved 5‑0.
- Reimbursement to Councilman Chris Seibert ($3,250): approved 4‑yeas, 1‑abstention (Seibert).
- Grove at South Jefferson master development plan amendment: approved 5‑0.
- CDBG and ARC grant applications ($300,000 each) with local match (~$288,867.80): approved 5‑0.

The meeting record shows roll‑call tallies on each vote and identifies council members on each roll; the official ordinance/resolution texts and vendor contracts for procurement items are the authoritative records for precise contract numbers and funding line items.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council work session and regular meeting 9/8/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Athens City Council on Sept. 8 approved the consent calendar and a group of resolutions and ordinances, including equipment purchases, a fiber contract, renewal of a tax‑revenue vendor, a sales‑tax holiday exemption and grant applications for streets and sewer work.","taxTitle","Athens City, Limestone County, Alabama","taxId",65000,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6473254,"Council approves Sunrise Park change orders; city says savings offset most added costs",947,4589000,5536000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5753706-1a8723cdfe3787618780153442e1d587&start=4589&end=5536","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5753706-1a8723cdfe3787618780153442e1d587/thumbnail_4589000.jpg","/articles/6473254/Athens-City/Limestone-County/Alabama/Council-approves-Sunrise-Park-change-orders-city-says-savings-offset-most-added-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6473254-a1aca6fd4b9e73fcc3e119c829f7ee8d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771029059&Signature=ewo7wm9oK14LSWrhzb0Uw26ikSaTbtFjKKXV6b4iH4yFJ1~zzbg0R~9RAZVNSBIGpHjUy9biADeoN8qGjGwihGl4b5wy7NOYiMA5Ompn3l3mGY4paxmVWW2JBSu5oHZwys0gQnzS0ggfgTbrPPSbtiGsfvwDagkwnIxLhB5GjeU~JcrC-ZXrSJgyOC5L5JuMhuMrljHjfu7fAl2b~m0YFIJwX9GSrnJEFN9GsUPxKKLPjvG6s639TMSicTZT3ps4PwPuRwFfRDFauOeX-~O24CJl2QnPHJh8MLYY2y96fRp8XIJBrLEykNzXkW3VaWgX1~8OzrUTUOZHjlGGWfCuKw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Athens City Council on Sept. 8 approved three change orders affecting the Sunrise Park construction project after a project update from the city’s project manager.

Council approved a deductive change order for bid package 4 (site electrical work) to Hennessy Construction LLC in the amount of negative $57,415, a change order for bid package 3 (general work) to EMW Construction in the amount of $7,590, and a change order for bid package 2 (civil and utilities) to Grayson Carter & Son Contracting Inc. in the amount of $68,590. All three measures passed on roll call votes (each 5‑0).

Project management staff explained the three items together: the project has encountered unsuitable creek‑bed soils that require engineered compacted fill and undercutting, and the city engaged Morrell Engineering to quantify cubic yards of unsuitable subgrade before completing that work. That soil remediation is the driver of additional cost in the civil contract.

At the same time, staff said they identified a way to avoid an expensive bored crossing under a creek for the primary electrical feed. Instead of boring through rock and disturbing the creek, staff worked with the design team and the electric department to use an existing nearby riser pole and add one pole to route the primary electrical aerially. That alternative produced the $57,415 deductive change to the Hennessy contract, which staff said offsets much of the soil work cost. City documents presented at the meeting calculated a net increase across the three change orders of about $18,765 compared with previously approved amounts.

The project manager provided context for the overall contract: the original single‑prime bid in 2024 had a higher total; after moving to a multi‑prime approach the city reported savings of $2,770,135.26. For the immediate work, staff said Grayson Carter and Son will proceed with compacted fill work and the contractor is also active on the west side of the creek; sidewalks and plantings are being prioritized to establish root beds before cold weather.

Council members asked questions about causes of the changes. Staff said unforeseen bedrock under the creek (not included in contract bid documents) and the splash pad contractor’s need for an additional concrete pit (which was not included in that contractor’s shop drawings) produced the two additive change orders; the deductive change arose from switching the electrical route. Staff said they do not anticipate further changes for the Hennessey scope once the aerial solution is adopted.

All three change orders were approved after motions to suspend the rules and roll‑call votes.","Athens City Council approved three change orders for Sunrise Park construction on Sept. 8: a deductive electrical change (‑$57,415) and two additional change orders totaling $76,180, producing a net additional cost of about $18,765, the city said. Council approved all three resolutions unanimously.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6473259,"Council rezones 33.4‑acre Ken Gardner property from light industrial to R‑13 amid neighbor concern",3202,544000,3746000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5753706-1a8723cdfe3787618780153442e1d587&start=544&end=3746","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5753706-1a8723cdfe3787618780153442e1d587/thumbnail_544000.jpg","/articles/6473259/Athens-City/Limestone-County/Alabama/Council-rezones-334acre-Ken-Gardner-property-from-light-industrial-to-R13-amid-neighbor-concern","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6473259-1022336b6e713ffe9ef78d6856747ca6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771029059&Signature=JaBktJwdbplo4JrDmCJSG1icQATmP-iRS9hjw2FhxwVxnhfRg4x0Q-ruED-YpGb5w7mJKQVWIatB70rwzIcPfpSZ8NUnmU2M3pj4J~BbdWeZoz~QRG7fgDPBqXXWrF5YP1GpMVhJ88KKfUihSrTKcQWsjKGQgWt6A25LBY0M9nQt1igJ-yGVoEX4JGehO7OU0s6CYPn5KyCWHG3lfSSqsINLUGVvLRUjKQYYRvHHpbfhWpscFNDAELMbR3ko1w8WHSOUzfWXNlmaaoH1XVDl2wUG~ywGOn2iR2VxHtSA7E1JlZIHdW8Cyz~L6uyMsPSIDelLZv4utiORtMWNLNu9Pg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Athens City Council on Sept. 8 voted 5‑0 to rezone approximately 33.4 acres owned by Ken Gardner from M‑1 light industrial to an R‑13 high‑density single‑family residential district.

The rezoning request was the subject of public comment. Resident David Delich said he and his neighbors opposed the rezoning, raising concerns about noise from adjacent railroad tracks, loss of tree cover, and potential runoff from future grading. “We do oppose this,” Delich told the council, describing his property as lying 4–5 feet below the proposed parcel and expressing concern that removing trees would increase runoff to nearby yards.

City planner Erin told the council that the planning commission recommended approval and that staff had no objections. Erin said a buffer requirement adjacent to the railroad would be reviewed and enforced at preliminary and final plat stages. She referenced a nearby R‑13 development (Town Creek Trails) that had constructed a buffer along the railroad track.

Council also discussed that leaving the parcel zoned M‑1 would allow industrial uses to locate there; rezoning to R‑13 limits that possibility and aligns the parcel with adjacent residential zoning. The rezoning request was initiated by the property owner, Mr. Varner, Erin said.

After suspending the rules to consider the ordinance the same night, the council passed the ordinance by roll call (Harper, Wailes, Seibert, Henry, Lucas all voting yes). No formal amendments to the ordinance were recorded at the meeting.

The council’s action changes the parcel’s allowable uses from light industrial to single‑family residential and will bring future development proposals under the city’s subdivision and plat review process, where buffers and other site‑specific controls will be reviewed.","The Athens City Council voted 5‑0 on Sept. 8 to rezone roughly 33.4 acres owned by Ken Gardner from M‑1 light industrial to R‑13 single‑family residential. Neighbors voiced concerns about noise, runoff and tree removal during the public hearing.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":91,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":94,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6473264,"Athens City Council approves conditional rezoning for 122.2‑acre Cambridge Lane tract",3564,4108000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5753706-1a8723cdfe3787618780153442e1d587&start=544&end=4108","/articles/6473264/Athens-City/Limestone-County/Alabama/Athens-City-Council-approves-conditional-rezoning-for-1222acre-Cambridge-Lane-tract","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6473264-a1e4c7f91f7abc80a8906603d0d54a78/orig.mp4?Expires=1771029059&Signature=jURWGrWJ~eeGNbVBck0RhFmZDOn0bCc4ZMVc-Kbgl8JgcsrksEjxmAqNgLC-eI6lnx7X5gISdKeAAy2Cgnw44BXnfYXexRGy9texWDiq3iaOjKuqPpIUSgLJ6aAxDTJ7spGx46aiGPxf06e~JfeTlzxhXJRS891vBBrXG5vpn0Gatb7YxhytRsod6mzkU1B5Uk3KsGLSNkBpyoSZMlPTBlHgAiI2~ixII~LaklwTEZwjhfU6Uvyih9w2HK6WJQPdElMJxcjnRTmF28gT3VgzZ74dUQrkFODFdOatGipEeL7obpoa2iqhl0j94KRP8N2lMfdFzD~73M3dm39YqDezVg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Athens City Council on Sept. 8 approved a conditional rezoning of about 122.2 acres near Cambridge Lane to an R‑13C high‑density single‑family residential district with conditions, by a 5‑0 vote.

City planner Erin said the rezoning includes binding conditions that “cap[ ] a maximum yield of 255 lots and a requirement to have 45% open space,” and that the conditions will remain with the property regardless of ownership. The property owners named in the ordinance were Ruth Ann D. Barksdale, Keith Rowe, Tammy Gafford and Gerald Douthard.

The council heard from staff that the planning commission recommended approval with the listed conditions. Erin told the council that the conditional rezoning is intended to “allow for the master development plan requirements to be met” and that if a future owner wanted to remove the conditions, they would need to return to the council to request rezoning.

Council members moved and seconded suspension of the rules to take the ordinance up the same night. The suspension motion passed on roll call (Harper, Wailes, Seibert, Henry, Lucas all voting yes). The ordinance vote likewise passed 5‑0.

The conditions attached to the rezoning limit buildable density compared with a standard R‑13 designation and require an overlay showing the conditional status on the zoning map, Erin said. Staff also explained the city will review preliminary and final plats to verify compliance with the conditions during the development process.

The ordinance text filed with the council identifies the site as being located approximately 610 feet south of U.S. Highway 72 and directly west of Cambridge Lane and provides parcel identification referenced in the ordinance record.

Councilors did not record any public comments in opposition during the meeting on this item.

The rezoning becomes part of the city’s zoning map and will be enforced through the city’s subdivision and plat review process.","On Sept. 8 the Athens City Council voted 5‑0 to rezone roughly 122.2 acres west of Cambridge Lane to an R‑13C high‑density single‑family district with conditions that cap yield at 255 lots and require 45% open space.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Athens City Council approves consent calendar, sales‑tax holiday exemption, tax vendor renewal and grants

Council approves Sunrise Park change orders; city says savings offset most added costs

Council rezones 33.4‑acre Ken Gardner property from light industrial to R‑13 amid neighbor concern

Athens City Council approves conditional rezoning for 122.2‑acre Cambridge Lane tract