By Crystal McGough, For The Tribune
PINSON – The Pinson City Council bid farewell to one of its most longstanding members, Dawn Tanner, on Thursday, May 5, 2022, during the city’s regular council meeting. Tanner, who has served on the council since the city’s incorporation in 2004, resigned from her position at the council’s previous meeting on April 21, stating that she wished to pursue other interests, including spending more time with her family.
Left to right: City Clerk Marie Turner, Councilor Brad Walker, Mayor Joe Cochran, Councilor/Mayor Pro Tem Robbie Roberts, former Councilor Dawn Tanner, Councilor John Churchwell, Councilor Glenda Kirkland. (Photo by Crystal McGough)
Councilor John Churchwell, who has also served on the Pinson City Council since the city’s incorporation, read Resolution 22-14 aloud, stating, “Whereas, The City of Pinson was incorporated on April 2, 2004, after an overwhelming majority vote of the included electors on March 30, 2004, and whereas, the inaugural City Council of the City of Pinson began meeting on May 27, 2004, and whereas, Dawn Tanner began serving on the City Council of the City of Pinson in Place 1, on May 27, 2004, and served in various capacities such as Finance Committee Chair, Mayor Tempore, Enhancements Committee, and other roles and was faithful to her duties and performed them with honesty and integrity. Now be it resolved that the Mayor and Council of the City of Pinson desire to recognize Dawn Tanner for her dedication and acknowledge and express appreciation for her service.”
Photo by Crystal McGough
Following the meeting, the mayor and council held a reception for Tanner, serving sandwiches from Chicken Salad Chick and cupcakes from Double Sweetness Cakery.
During the meeting, Mayor Joe Cochran announced that the application process for the vacant seat on the council has been closed, and that the city has two applicants for the position.
Both applicants, Paula Sims and Clinteshia Irvin, were in attendance.
“I love the city of Pinson,” Sims said. “I want to be a part of seeing the city grow (and) helping the people get their voice out, maybe for people that are not already reached and touched. Just to get involved with the city.”
Sims, who has lived in Pinson for 22 years, said that her son is graduating from Pinson Valley High School this year, and applying for the city council is one way for her to stay in touch with what is going on in the city.
Irvin said that she moved to Pinson about four years ago, to get away from big city life and begin a new journey in the country.
“Nobody on the council looks like me, so I thought that I could help bring value and new perspective to the council,” Irvin said of why she decided to apply for the vacant council position.
The council decided to schedule a special-called meeting for Tuesday, May 10, to appoint and seat its new council member prior to the upcoming Alabama League of Municipalities Convention. The special meeting will be held at city hall at 3 p.m.
Additionally, the council unanimously approved Resolution 22-13, electing Councilor Robbie Roberts as the city’s new Mayor Pro Tempore.
During the pre-council meeting, Mayor Cochran informed the council that the Birmingham Children’s Theatre, having been displaced due to the World Games, had requested that the city consider being a sponsor for its new Adventure Theatre program, a partnership between the Children’s Theatre and several local nature parks and preserves, including Turkey Creek Nature Preserve.
“They’re going to have … an interactive-type program going on,” Councilor Roberts said during the regular meeting. “The play will begin more stage-traditional, and then it will proceed out onto the paths and into the woods over there at Turkey Creek, so it’s a great opportunity for the kids to get to see that. The other nice thing is this will be going on either toward the latter portion or immediately after our summer reading program at the library and our library director has stated that she would be very interested in including this in the program or potentially as prizes for some of the kids as their reading achievements.”
Roberts made a motion that the city sponsor Adventure Theatre in the amount of $2,500, which will qualify the city as a “Trusty Trekker” level sponsor, and includes a reserved performance, 50 free tickets, recognition as a sponsor, and a social media shout-out. Some of the tickets will be offered as prizes through Pinson Public Library’s summer reading program. The motion passed unanimously.
In other business, the city approved the following:
- Ordinance 2022-08, annexing 6468 Telia Drive into the city
- Ordinance 2022-09, changing the zoning classification of Shelly’s Bakery to Highway Commercial
- Resolution 22-15, approving an ABC Board issuance of an alcoholic beverage license to Shelly’s Bakery
- Proposal from Hendon & Huckstein for architectural and structural engineering design and consulting for a proposed new gabled roof at the Rock School auditorium, for approximately $16,000
The next meeting of the Pinson City Council will be a special-called meeting on Tuesday, May 10, in order to fill the vacant seat on the council, followed by a regular city council meeting on Thursday, May 19.
