Northport Council To Consider School System Facilities Study, Legislative Agenda Monday

NORTHPORT, AL — The Northport City Council is set to vote on moving forward with the latest feasibility study for a proposed city school system, in addition to considering the city's 2022 Legislative Agenda and a range of other measures during its regular meeting Monday night.

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Here's a quick rundown of the top three stories we'll be following during the meeting.

You can also click here to read the full agenda.

1. The City Council is expected to vote on a resolution that would authorize the city to move forward on executing its master contract for lighting services, which will see Alabama Power install LED lighting across the entire city. Council President Jeff Hogg told Patch that, if passed, this measure would cost the city less than $650 a month to maintain.
2. A resolution will be put to a vote that would see the city enter into an agreement with Criterion Consulting, LLC for a due diligence study relating to Tuscaloosa County School System educational facilities within the Northport city limits, as the City Council continues forward on its goal of breaking away from TCSS to start its own city school system. Click here for my exhaustive investigative look at the process, which dissects both the perceived pros and cons of the proposed split. (Tuscaloosa Patch)
3. As the 2022 Legislative Session gets into full swing in Montgomery, the Northport City Council will vote Monday night on approving its latest Legislative Agenda — a document that serves as a list of recommendations and requests submitted to area lawmakers for consideration. I will have much more on the importance of these measures soon, but, for now.

Here's a quick list of the high points from the proposed legislative agenda for the City of Northport:

• Supporting tort liability limits being made applicable to "individual capacity" suits against municipal employees.
• Supporting legislation requiring adequate funding by the state general fund for criminal corrections, mental health systems, transportation and maintenance, in addition to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. It also voices opposition for legislation that would pass financial burdens to local governments without accompanying state funding.
• The opposition of any legislation that would provide exemptions for pharmacy from gross receipts generate by drug sales in determining the issuance of a business license.
• Supports and requests certain funding for infrastructure improvements, including along Highway 82 West to Rose Boulevard, in addition to along Highway 69 and Highway 43 to Larry Lake Road.
• Support of revisions of procedures to allow EMS units to return to service with more expediency, which is due to increased wait times for unit at local hospitals with respect to transfer of care.
• Opposition to House Bill 111, which the city claims would limit its ability to budget for law enforcement within the municipality.
• Opposition to to exemption from sales of food from state sales and use taxes, as Northport is would otherwise face a significant decrease revenue, with no other way at present to shore up the funding lost.
• Supporting an amendment to the appeal procedures for the Council's Planning & Zoning Commission, which would require an appeal submitted within 15 days of the final judgement being handed down.
• Supporting legislation authorizing community paramedic program and allows mid-level providers the ability to bill for services rendered, as well as providing funding for such through appropriate mechanism.

The Northport City Council will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 7 in the Council chambers at Northport City Hall and Civic Center.

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