MADISON — The Dec. 10 Madison City Council meeting saw several awards presented, including the 2018 Firefighter of the Year and Police Officer of the Year.

Tom McKinney of American Legion Post 229, which serves the greater Madison area, commended the winners for their exemplary service in the fire and police departments of Madison.

“We, as an American Legion post—we try to do our best to be a part of the community and a positive part,” said McKinney, who presented the awards on behalf of Post 229. “Tonight, we’re here to honor two of Madison’s finest, and I’m pleased to be able to do that.”

The first award of the evening, Firefighter of the Year, was presented to Capt. Richard Ennis of Madison Fire and Rescue. McKinney said Ennis has been serving in the Madison area for 12 years, consistently going above and beyond in his duties. He also has been involved in improving learning and reporting platforms, as well as doing extensive research contributing to the department’s ability to make educated decisions. In addition, he volunteers to teach at the department and is respected in the medical side of things. While working, he earned his associate degree in fire science from Columbia Southern University. Recently, Ennis was promoted to captain.

“We’re proud to recognize you as firefighter of the year, and we know that goes beyond that to emergency medical as well,” McKinney told Ennis. “Your dedication and exemplary service to the citizens of this fine city is greatly appreciated.”

Madison Police Officer Jeremy McKinney received the award for Police Officer of the Year. Jeremy began as a police officer at UAH in 2011 and has been a part of the Madison Police Department since September 2016, according to McKinney.

“Officer McKinney was selected as officer of the year based on his work removing impaired drivers off our streets. In 2017, he made 20 DUI arrests and 14 drug-related arrests,” McKinney said. “He was found to clear our streets in an appropriate, professional manner.”

McKinney also read to the audience that Jeremy was “instrumental” in implementing an effective, positive, community-based precinct effort to establish a personal relationship with people and businesses in his patrol zone. At the beginning of 2018, he received MPD’s Community Policing Award.

After the winners received their awards, Deputy Fire Chief Brandy Williams called forward Ennis and four others in the Fire Department to celebrate their promotions with a badge pinning ceremony. The recipients’ significant others pinned their badges in the ceremony. The following are the promoted members of the department and their new roles: Richard Ennis, captain; Eddie Richardson, captain; Dustin Spires, battalion chief;  Zac Tanner, driver; Dale Dowdy, driver.

From left to right: Ennis, Richardson, Spires, Tanner, Dowdy. | (Record Photo/Kendyl Hollingsworth)

Following the ceremony, Gayle Milam and Madison Mayor Paul Finley handed out awards for the category winners of this year’s Christmas Tree Decorating Contest, part of the Downtown Madison Christmas Magic festivities.

The decorated trees were put on display along Main Street in front of the railroad tracks for all to enjoy. The following is a list of winners in the order they were presented:

• Honorable Mention (2): The Riley Center and Posh Mommy & Baby Too
• Most Whimsical: Eva Bank
• Most Sophisticated: Madison Parks & Recreation Department
• Most Creative: Main Street Café
• Most Creative Business Showcase for a Nonprofit: Madison Public Works Department
• Most Creative Business Showcase for a Profit Business: Opie Balch Realty
• Mayor’s Choice: Orange Theory Fitness
• People’s Choice: Gunner’s Family – Robert, Taylor and Lorelle Stanley

“On behalf of the City of Madison, we thank everyone who participated,” Milam said. “We had an outstanding display of trees this year, and I’m very proud of each and every one of them.”

The trees will remain up through the month of December. Photos of the trees are posted on Facebook/Christmas Magic in Downtown Madison Alabama.

In public comments, Tom Scovill returned to the podium to explain his concerns about the fairness of the proposed property tax, particularly with the establishment in 1993 for Madison residents to pay 11 mils and Triana to pay nine mils. He argued that the City could start by reducing Madison’s education property tax millage by two mils and reimburse taxpayers, plus interest, for paying the extra two mils over the years.

He also explained his thoughts on the unfairness of Madison’s education sales tax, which he said Triana does not have to pay. On this subject, he suggested either killing the sales tax, reducing the Madison millage or increasing Triana’s millage.

“Fair play demands action soon,” Scovill said. “It may be that the Madison-Triana schools agreement should be amended.”

Following Scovill’s remarks, BeBe Oetjen expressed her frustrations about a continued issue involving cones set up in front of the senior center, which Oetjen said have been a hindrance. The cones are related to construction at Discovery Middle School, which Parks and Recreation Director Kory Alfred explained at the Oct. 8 city council meeting. At that time, he said the department was asked to block off some parking spaces to make the car line more efficient for pickup. The car pickup line and bus line had “flip-flopped” because of this construction.

“In all due respect, the school should take the cones up when the people are through using the road, not the senior center,” Oetjen said. “At 9:30 in the morning, there’s no excuse for the cones being out.”

In other business, the council approved all items and donations on the consent agenda and finance committee report for the evening.

Many payments on the agenda pertained to construction services on various projects. These items included two payments for work related to the multi-use venue stadium: one of nearly $91,000 to Turner Construction and another of about $68,000 to Populous Group. The council also approved a payment on the agenda of about $23,000 to S&ME Inc. for their services through Nov. 3 on the widening of Hughes Road from Plaza to Millsford, and a payment of $450 will go to OMI Inc. for their inspection services with the Palmer Park rejuvenation project.

Other items included: a travel advance of $76.50 each for two to attend a TASER instructor course; a resolution designating Synovus Bank as the depository for city funds; an authorization to purchase vehicles from the NACPA bid; the disposal of two chairs declared surplus in the Finance Department; the authorization to either dispose or sell surplus MPD surveillance equipment; and the authorization to auction surplus city property from the former Madison Library on GovDeals.

The only item under appropriations and donations on the agenda was a $10,000 appropriation from Alabama Sen. Arthur Orr in support of the city’s Home Place Park project, which the council also approved as part of the agenda.

In the council’s presentation of reports, District 1 Councilwoman Maura Wroblewski touched on her enjoyment participating in Mill Creek Elementary School’s “Amazing Shake” competition that took place earlier that day.

“It was an honor and privilege to be there and meet the students—the next generation,” she said. “We’re in good hands.”

Later on in the meeting, the council appointed Dennis Vaughn to Place 2 on the Madison Station Historic Preservation Commission.

The council also approved all resolutions on the agenda for Madison’s Police, Planning, Recreation and Legal departments. For police, this included the authorization to purchase tasers and establish a related service agreement with Axon Enterprise Inc., as well as to trade in and purchase a new vehicle totaling $450 after trade-in.

The Planning Department saw two resolutions approved. The approval of the first set a public hearing for Jan. 14 concerning the rezoning of a property owned by Russell S. Ormstedt at 120 Roy Drive from R-1A (low density residential) to B2 (community business district). The second resolution authorized an agreement with AT&T for the relocation of a fiber line in Home Place Park.

“We thought it made sense to move the data line … so it’ll be south of the main walkway through the site,” said Planning Director Mary Beth Broeren. “Even though it’s still going to go under one of our walkways, we think it’ll be more out of the way, or the pole would be out of the way, and if AT&T had to come in and do some additional work, it would be less disruptive to the park.” Broeren also noted that the monies would come out of the money already budgeted for the Kyser Boulevard improvements associated with the Sealy Project, therefore this item “doesn’t represent additional fund request.”

Recreation had two resolutions authorizing professional services with OMI Inc. for design services at Dublin Park. The first resolution pertains to Dublin Park soccer field parking improvements, which Parks and Recreation Director Kory Alfred said will include the addition of a walking path, and the second will be for a pool storage building. Council President Steve Smith suggested adding concessions to the designs for the area.

The Legal Department’s first item on the agenda was a resolution authorizing a settlement agreement with the Alabama Department of Revenue and “various parties” regarding some unpaid lodging taxes. The second item consisted of the continuation of a public hearing from the last city council meeting regarding the “dangerous building” at 8000 Old Madison Pike. Oetjen returned to the podium to reiterate her points from the hearing at the Nov. 13 meeting.

“This has been an eyesore for ages … I don’t think you have any choice but to demolish this building,” she said. “… I think it’s been neglected for too long, and it needs to be destroyed.”

City Attorney Megan Zingarelli said the City is working on assessments and waiting on the building owner, who now lives in England, and his attorney after presenting a mediation agreement to them. Zingarelli said the City is working to establish a timeline of action regarding how they deal with the building. The public hearing will continue once again at the Jan. 14 meeting.

Madison City Council typically meets on the second and fourth Mondays of every month in the council chambers on the main level of Madison Municipal Complex, located at 100 Hughes Road. Stay up to date on city and council matters at www.madisonal.gov.