Anniston council approves parental-leave update, new position classification and several resolutions

The Anniston City Council on June 2 adopted multiple consent resolutions, heard two brief public hearings on liquor-license applications and read an ordinance by title only as a first reading.

The council approved a package of consent items after an amended agenda was adopted to add a proclamation honoring preservation work and several resolutions. Among the standalone measures approved were a $6,000 payment for event support services, an update to the city’s parental leave policy and a new job classification for an Economic Development and Planning Director. Council members also approved a software renewal agreement with "Blackbod Incorporated" for the Kingston Museum of Natural History. The roll calls for each vote were held during the meeting and the measures passed by council vote.

The council opened and closed two public hearings to collect comment on proposed liquor licenses — a lounge/retail liquor license for a Noble Street location and a restaurant retail liquor license for a Mexican Kitchen at 1021 Noble Street (Suite 109). No members of the public addressed the council during those hearings.

The meeting also included a proclamation honoring Fred Couch for his role in securing listings on the National Register of Historic Places. In remarks after the presentation, Couch recalled coordinating with the Alabama Historic Commission on a nomination study that cost about $5,000, saying, "I talked the city into paying half of it and then the merchants paid the other half," and describing the extensive documentation that went into the nomination process.

On ordinance business, the council read an ordinance by title that would amend Section 6.1.9(b) to incorporate NFPA 70 (the National Electrical Code, 2020 edition). The item was presented as a first reading and no final action or vote on the ordinance occurred at the meeting.

During council comments, members thanked public works staff for storm cleanup and outreach to residents and noted continuing constituent concerns about malfunctioning traffic signals on Quintart Avenue. One council member clarified that Quintart Avenue is a state-maintained highway, limiting the city’s direct authority over signal timing and infrastructure changes.

The meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn.

The council’s next procedural steps on the ordinance will follow the usual second-reading and adoption process; the council did not schedule additional action on the liquor-license applications during this meeting.