Gadsden City Council meeting 2026-10-27

The Gadsden City Council meeting of October 27, 2026, approved several procurement and development actions. The council adopted an ordinance conveying city property at 721 Forest Avenue to Windsouth for $50,000; members discussed that no appraisal had been obtained. It also approved renewing the agreement with River Tree Systems, Inc. for tax and business-license revenue audits at $75 per hour. New resolutions approved lighting and erosion-control work at Twin Bridges, an easement to Alabama Power for the 5th Street and Broad Street Legacy project, and a lighting-services agreement with Alabama Power for three new streetlights at $7.38 per fixture per month. The council also authorized an Appalachian Regional Commission grant agreement for roadway improvements at the Gulf State Steel redevelopment site for Minthe Corporation: up to $500,000 in grant funding, with a city match of $652,496 in cash and in-kind labor.

The council adopted ordinances updating alcoholic-beverage definitions and license types, including consumable hemp and end products, and revising the city’s business-license tax schedule. A special called meeting was announced for October 30 to consider an economic development agreement with GKH LLC for a proposed mixed-use development at 437 Broad Street, described as a $20 million private investment; no action on that agreement occurred at this meeting. The mayor also reported that the city had approved pursuing a steam-powered train for Noccalula Falls, with a $110,000 state grant expected to cover most of the cost. No vote on that purchase occurred during this meeting.