WATCH: University Beach Boards Approve District Officers, Other 'Perfunctory' Measures

NORTHPORT, AL — Officials representing the two improvement district boards governing the controversial University Beach lagoon resort project in Northport met Tuesday afternoon at the former United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) building.

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As Patch previously reported, the University Beach Cooperative Improvement District Board consists of three Northport residents appointed by the city and the project's developers, while the University Beach Improvement District consists of developers Kent Donahue, John Hughes and outside investor Katie Li of San Mateo, California.

Li was absent from Tuesday's meeting.

The two groups will oversee the development of the lagoon project, which the Texas-based developers insist will bring in $350 million in outside private investment, in addition to overseeing the flow of sales tax revenue once the project is up and running.

Click the YouTube link below to watch the first meeting in its entirety or click here to watch it on our YouTube channel.

Tuesday's meeting also comes after Tuscaloosa County Circuit Judge Daniel Pruet in November issued a ruling validating the proposed $59.7 million bond package for the University Beach Improvement District's proposed lagoon resort development.

District Manager Pfilip Hunt explained that Tuesday's initial meeting of the Cooperative Improvement District Board of Directors was gathered to mostly consider "perfunctory" measured, most of which had already been approved through the partnership agreement.

Patch previously reported that the Cooperative Improvement District Board of Directors consists of Shaferris Porter, Allison Rush and Steven Fikes.

Rush and Porter were in attendance at Tuesday's first meeting of the recently established board, while Fikes participated via speakerphone.

ALSO READ: University Beach Improvement District Board Manager Has Long History Of Regulatory Violations

The meeting began with Porter nominating Rush — a clinic manager at Pickens County Primary Care — to serve as the chair of the board.

Rush then nominated Porter to serve as the board's vice chair and secretary, before Fikes was later nominated to serve as treasurer.

Other measures considered on Tuesday included appointing Florida-based Wrathell, Hunt and Associates as the district's manager, along with Birmingham-based law firm Maynard Nexsen as the legal counsel for the Cooperative Improvement District Board.

ALSO READ: Texas City Issues Notice Of Default For Project Associated With University Beach Developer

Alvin Hope, an attorney with Maynard Nexsen, was approved as the project's registered agent, while TTL, Inc. was secured as the project's engineer.

Hope also informed the three Cooperative Improvement District board members that since they are not being financially compensated for their roles, they would not have to file financial disclosure forms with the Alabama Ethics Commission.

The first meeting ended with Hunt telling the board that an official budget was still in the works and would be ready for them to consider in the coming weeks.

Click the YouTube link below to watch the second meeting in its entirety or click here to watch it on our YouTube channel.

The second meeting was far less eventful and with a much shorter agenda, as the other three-person University Beach Improvement District Board adopting a supplemental assessment methodology report.

No date has been given for when the next meeting of the two boards will be held.

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