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SPRINGVILLE, Ala. (TRIBUNE) – The Springville City Council met for its second regular meeting of the year on Wednesday, Jan. 22. The Wednesday morning meeting was moved from the regular Monday night date due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Two main items were on the brief agenda.
According to Terry Schrimscher of the Trussville Tribune, the first item was a request for annexation of 201 acres of private property owned by the Bettis family. T.J. Johnson, a spokesman for the Bettis family, spoke on behalf of the annexation.
“[The property] has been in the family for a long time and they’re excited to bring it into the city limits,” Johnson said. “This is not a discussion about zoning or what should be done out there. Just whether if at some point something is done out there, does it happen in the city limits of Springville, and pay tax dollars to the city of Springville, or does it happen in St. Clair County.”
“I know this property has come up in the past. I think the intentions here are very different than they were then,” Johnson said.
The property was considered for annexation previously as part of a proposed Planned Unit Development. The land, which lies north and east of Old Mill Road and north of Robinson Street behind the historic district of downtown, is adjacent to Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve.
The annexation failed in April of 2022 when no motion was made to vote on the proposal. At the time, members of the council were concerned about adding a large housing development in the city and the strain it would cause on infrastructure.
Mayor Dave Thomas, who has long advocated for the city to purchase the property, spoke in favor of the proposal.
“It would be my desire, at some point, that the city look at buying that property,” Thomas said. He said the city could build roads and parking for the nature preserve. “I would see it as an opportunity for the city to help with the preserve that would also eliminate any rooftops being built on the property,” Thomas said.
The annexation proposal passed unanimously.
The other main item on the agenda was a resolution establishing salaries for the next administration. The salary for the mayor was set at $30,800 per year. The position of mayor pro tempore will receive $715 per month and council members will receive $660 per month beginning with the next administration.
The council also approved:
- Transfer of the beer and wine license for new owners of the Shell station.
- $3,148.51 as a match for a grant to the nature preserve from Jones Valley Teaching Farm.
- The addition of mental health and crisis training to the incentive pay opportunities for Springville police officers.
The next meeting of the Springville City Council will be held at 6 p.m. on February 3 with a work session at 5:30 p.m. prior to the meeting.
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