The Eufaula City Council announced the dates of the upcoming municipal elections at Monday’s monthly meeting.
The election will be held on April 1. Filing period to run for office is Feb. 3 to Feb. 5, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In an anomaly, all five city seats are up for election at the same time.
Current occupants are: Tisha Morgan: Council Member Ward I, remainder of four-year unexpired term, which expires 2027.
Roger Barton: Council Member Ward II, remainder of four-year unexpired term, which expires 2027.
Jamie Upton: Council Member Ward III, four-year term, which expires 2029.
Vice Mayor James Hick-man: Council Member Ward IV, four-year term, which expires 2029. Council Mayor Todd Warren: Member at Large, four-year term, which expires 2029 Candidates must be a qual- ified elector by virtue of being a resident and registered voter within the municipality or in the ward if an office is from a ward for at least six months prior to filing a declaration of candidacy.
Million-dollar grant application
The Council passed three items on its agenda in hopes of landing a million-dollar grant from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to purchase a fire truck and fire-fighting equipment.
The first item was the OK to pursue the grant; the second item was to retain Shelia Edwards, long-time grant writer for Eufaula if the grant is approved; and the third item was to permit City Manager Jeb Jones to sign all Fire Grant documents. Retirement
Due to changes in IRS regulations, a number of changes have been made in retirement plans for municipalities throughout the country.
Jones said the only change that has a financial impact on Eufaula is when an employee’s retirement funds become vested.
In the past, the vestment came after seven years of employment.
The change states that an employee may become vested at the age of 65, regardless of his or her years of service.
Eyesore
Ward II Councilman Roger Barton has his eyes set on an eyesore at the northwest corner of 2nd Street and Foley Avenue.
The property in question is adjacent to a playground at Kiwanis Park.
Barton pointed out that the council approved a zoning change several years ago from residential to commercial with the stated purpose of creating a food court.
“That lasted a few months, and all of a sudden it was turned into a construction business,” Burton said. “Do they have to have a special use permit for that?”
City Attorney Kay Wall said the original application was for a business, so if the owner of the property changes his business plan there isn’t much the city can do about it.
Barton noted that the city ordered the property to be fenced and gated for safety reasons.
“They started to put up a fence but haven’t finished it and there is no gate,” Barton said.
He said he has seen old, junked cars, bicycles and furniture in the lot and he would like something to be done.
“It looks to me like a junk yard even, though they run a business out of it,” he said.
City Manager Jones said he has talked to property owners and given them a deadline to finish the fence surrounding the property. If they fail to do so, the city will do it and charge them.
A question was raised as to whether the city could close it due to it being a health and safety hazard.
Jones said as long as they are in compliance with city regulations, there isn’t much that can be done.
