The Montevallo City Council met Monday, Jan. 11, for their regularly scheduled, bi-weekly meeting. The Council met to discuss the set agenda topics, as well as field the concerns of citizens who chose to attend the meeting. The Council met both in person and via Zoom, with the meeting livestreamed on the city’s Facebook page. 

A new fire prevention and protection ordinance was introduced to the council during the meeting. This ordinance would establish noncompliance with the municipal fire prevention code as a misdemeanor. Those in violation with the code will be notified by the fire chief and be given a thirty-day period in which to fix the violation. Each further thirty-day period violation remains unfixed will result in a separate misdemeanor offense. 

The ordinance also established punishments for those found guilty of this misdemeanor offense. For a first violation, the violator will be penalized with a $100 fine in addition to any applicable costs of court. A second violation would result in a $250 fine in addition to any applicable costs of court.  A third violation would result in a $500 fine in addition to any applicable costs of court. A fourth or any subsequent violation would result in a fine and/or jail sentence at the discretion of the municipal judge.  

Additionally, in the event of any subsequent offense, the city will host a hearing on the matter of revoking or refusing to renew a business license for failure to comply with the municipal fire code. 

The council also approved a resolution to allow Mayor Rusty Nix to partner with engineering company Garver USA to install sidewalk along State Road 25. 

Council member Lelia Mitchell expressed concerns about the project due to the lack of streetlights in the area; believing this would produce hazardous conditions for pedestrians. However, Nix reassured “that could be another project that we’re working on,” and encouraged Mitchell to create another project to remedy that issue in conjunction with the Montevallo Development Cooperative District. 

The next City Council meeting will be held Monday, Jan. 25, at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will be livestreamed on the city’s Facebook page. Citizens may also attend the meeting in person at City Hall. There will be limited seating and social distancing protocols put in place.