State of the City presentation overshadowed by ongoing unrest

May 1—Bridges, lighting, recreation projects and more highlight Decatur's progress, but the State of the City couldn't be addressed Tuesday without discussion of the last seven months of dissension and conflict.

Moderated by Wade Weaver, Councilmen Carlton McMasters and Kyle Pike talked about the city's financial status and gave project updates at the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce's annual State of the City breakfast at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Decatur Riverfront. Weaver is chairman of the chamber's Policy Committee.

A video from Council President Jacob Ladner, who was out of town on business, led off the event. The chamber's decision to show the video led Mayor Tab Bowling to drop out of the program. He did not attend the event.

Ladner talked in the video about how city leaders shared in the past "all of the positive happenings in our community. From residential growth to Parks and Recreation projects, the continued expansion of the Alabama Center for the Arts — the list goes on and on, and I know you'll hear more about those things today.

"That type of progress and momentum has made leading during this time relatively easy."

However, he pointed out how tough things have been since the fatal shooting of Steve Perkins by a Decatur police officer on Sept. 29. A grand jury indicted former Decatur police officer Mac Marquette for murder in December. He pleaded not guilty and his trial is scheduled for October.

"So how do we lead when times are challenging, like they are right now?" Ladner said. "The past can't be undone; the future might seem uncertain. We can only control how we respond to the present."

He said "when times are uncertain, we just have to do the next right thing to keep moving forward. And that is what we are going to do as a city. We are going to continue moving forward."

Pike also talked about the path forward following Perkins' death and the unrest and protests over the city's handling of the shooting.

"It's not something that's going to be easy or fast," Pike said. "It's going to take a lot of conversation both in and outside of the council chambers. It's going to take a lot of hard conversations face to face where you know not everybody is going to agree, but you've got to have those open lines of communication."

McMasters said the first three years on the City Council were great but admitted the seven months since Perkins' death have been hard.

"It's been difficult to lead," he said.

McMasters and Pike said the city's fiscal budget is up to $93.7 million as the City Council is using a needs-based budget with excess funding going to an unassigned account that allows the council to deal with the city's unbudgeted needs.

McMasters said they recently spent $1.5 million on loader trucks and also improved the transfer station. Both projects improved the speed of garbage and large-load pickups.

McMasters said it's important for the city "to continue the momentum that we have," but they also should focus on the city's basic needs.

"Garbage trucks, loader trucks — we've got to always keep maintenance and replacement at the forefront," McMasters said. "Our directors always have a wish list that's a mile long, and it's going to be dictated by budget and revenues and how things go."

Pike said they're waiting on the final permit for the $10 million Sixth Avenue streetscape project, and the plan is to begin the project in July.

The city received a federal grant for the U.S. 31 causeway and Keller Memorial Bridge lighting. The city is negotiating with a contractor and Pike said he hopes the project will begin soon. He estimated the project will take about six months.

Pike said the next study on a proposed new Tennessee River bridge will take a year to 18 months to complete and then they have to find the money to build it.

Pike said the new downtown parking deck should open in May.

The new Alabama Center for the Arts residence hall will open in August for the new school year, Pike said.

Pike said developer Patrick Lawler, managing partner of Ingalls Harbor LLC, remains committed to the $30 million mixed-use development just west of Ingalls Harbor. It takes time to obtain permits from the Tennessee Valley Authority to build a project on the riverbank, Pike said.

McMasters said it's important to build a new Decatur Youth Services facility as soon as possible because DYS serves 300 children a day.

Parks & Recreation is busy with a number of projects, McMasters said, including a $53.5 million recreation center planned for Wilson Morgan Park. There are also plans to improve the park.

McMasters said the new $17 million ballfield complex off Modaus Road Southwest "is under budget and on time." The city expects the ballfields to be complete before the spring 2025 season begins.

They're working on a new kiddie area at Point Mallard Park's Aquatic Center that's projected to cost about $6 million, McMasters said.

Work is ongoing on a planned event center, which replaces the Point Mallard Ice Complex. McMasters said it should open late this summer.

McMasters said new parks at Indian Hills Road Southeast and Frances Nungester Elementary in his District 3 are complete while they're working on a park at Lynette Drive Southwest. A park at Chestnut Grove Elementary in District 5 is under construction, he said.

He pointed out the city received an $18 million federal grant to improve the Bill Sims Bicycle Trail and connect Southeast Decatur with Old Town in Northwest Decatur.

Resident Helen Collins attended the chamber breakfast. She said she liked what she heard about the projects the city is doing. She added that she wishes the city had repaired the ice rink, but she knows that's not possible now.

"They're doing the best they can. I don't see that they're going to be able to do much more for a while. They've got some issues to clear up before they can do much," Collins said, referring to conflicts stemming from Perkins' death.

Pike said residential growth should continue to be a priority, especially apartments in the downtown area to meet the needs of young professionals.

Pike said the city needs to focus on completing the planned projects.

"The costs continue to rise, and we want to make sure these projects are properly funded and within budget," Pike said. "But we will continue to support quality-of-life stuff."

Mike Olejnik, of the Lioce Group, said he moved to Decatur from Bakersfield, California, three years ago. He said he enjoyed hearing about the new recreation projects, because recreation is a main reason he, his wife and their now 5-year-old child moved to the city.

"We really love the soccer fields," Olejnik said. "It's a great place."

— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432