From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville City Council met on Tuesday, Oct. 8, and voted on several measures including the alcohol license for Ferus Artisan Ales and public safety measures.
The council approved three public safety measures presented by Trussville Police Chief Eric Rush and Trussville Fire and Rescue Chief Tim Shotts.
Shotts said Glance technology will ensure emergency vehicles would be able to respond to scenes quicker. Modules would be installed near traffic lights and would communicate with modules inside emergency vehicles, in order to preempt signals. Lights would also be controlled and synchronized by the city in order to keep traffic flow smooth.
Shotts said drivers can also download an app called Travel Safely, which would send traffic information.
“The whole project is to make things safer for the whole community,” said Shotts. “It makes things safer for our responders and improves traffic flow and it’s better for pedestrians.”
Rush’s proposal would add traffic monitoring cameras along Highway 11.
“These cameras will be primarily focused on the intersections from Main Street to 459 because that’s where we have the highest traffic volume and the most congestion,” said Rush.
The cameras will work in conjunction with the Glance system. The city would be able to remotely control traffic signals.
Rush also wants the city to take part in Flock Safety, a system that is already being demoed. The system of license plate reader cameras would capture snapshots of vehicles, not video, and would alert authorities to stolen tags, stolen vehicles, and to tags registered to a person with a warrant.
“If you go by it, you’re going to be in a database for 30 days, and if you’re not committing crimes, there is no need for your information to be looked up,” Rush said. “We don’t use it to track or monitor law-abiding citizens.”
The police department would also have the ability to enter a “hot list” to be alerted when specific vehicles enter the city.
Neighborhoods could purchase cameras to be patched into the system and law enforcement would monitor traffic coming into those neighborhoods.
The location of the cameras has not been determined. The total cost for the public safety measures proposed would cost $85,000 a year.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the council voted unanimously to approve the license for the new brewery, in the heart of downtown Trussville. Ferus plans to open for business on Oct. 24, at 3 p.m. Owner Coby Lake told the council Ferus works with the ABC Board to ensure his employees sell alcohol responsibly.
The alcohol license for the Chevron in Plaza Downs off Highway 11 was also approved by the council.
During a public hearing, several residents who live near Cahaba Elementary School came forward with concerns about speeding in their neighborhood. Councilman Alan Taylor said the Public Safety Committee will discuss the issues at its next meeting in November.
Judge Martha Cook also spoke during the public hearing session of the council meeting. Cook was appointed as District Court Judge by Gov. Kay Ivey after Judge John Amari’s retired. Cook said she hopes to continue and win a full six-year term in the next election.
A resolution to pass a 2% cost of living raise to all employees was approved unanimously.
The city of Trussville will celebrate Arbor Week during the last full week of February.
Councilman Zack Steele was elected as Council President for the next year. Councilman Alan Taylor was elected Council Pro-tem. The change will take place in the first council meeting in November.
Councilman Brian Plant publicly thanked Council President Jef Freeman for his work over the past year.
