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In their first meeting in 2025 due to previous illnesses and bad weather, the council was called to order with a quorum of members.

After quickly approving the minutes from the previous meeting, the floor was opened to a delegate from the Juneteenth committee. Ms. Scott thanked the council for allowing the use of city facilities for last year’s Juneteenth festivities, and asked the city to host in the same space again this year on June 21, 2025. The motion to approve the request unanimously passed.

With no reports from council committees or the City Clerk, Mayor Gwendolyn Rogers presented the recommendation from Goodwyn Mills Cawood to accept the lowest bid received for relocating the utilities along the northern bypass project, which is being constructed by the State of Alabama. 

According to ALDOT, “The Linden Bypass is divided into two sections: the South Project, which runs from US-43 south of Linden to SR-28, and the North Project, from SR-28 to SR-69. Combined, the projects span approximately 7.7 miles and will form a four-lane divided highway, designated as SR-303. This road will eventually be part of the New West Alabama Highway.” The project is expected to be completed in late 2025.

The bid of almost $2.2 million by Cornerstone Civil Contractors, LLC of Tuscaloosa, was approved. This amount is to be fully reimbursed to the city by the State.

Mayor Rogers then presented the council with various ideas for consideration regarding potential grants and other sources of funding for city infrastructure and emergency repairs. 

Moving forward to the last piece of public business, the Council tackled the topic of raises for the City Council and the Mayor. If a raise is to be approved, it must be done at least six months before city elections, and would not go into effect until after the election. None of the members or the Mayor spoke in a fond light regarding raises.

“I’ve been here 16 years and we’ve had one $25 raise,” council member Cannon put in.

Wilson added, “I don’t want the salary to get such that somebody wants that money, and doesn’t really care about the city.”

As the conversation continued, it came to light that the City Utility Board had approved a raise for its members at a previous meeting. According to the Council, that should perhaps have been done the other way around. “They’re supposed to make half what we do, because we have twice the number of meetings,” Wilson said. 

After much discussion, council members approved to raise the pay for future council members from $75 per meeting – or $150 per month – to $150 per meeting or $300 per month. This rate was set to match the per meeting rate the Utility Board set for its future board members. The Council also approved – with the Mayor abstaining from discussion or voting – a raise for the Mayor, doubling pay from $375 to $750 per month.

At that point the Council entered a closed executive session and adjourned the meeting immediately afterward.