City Council Agenda Request Timeline

Water Capacity Operations/Plan
Budget
Plan?
City Ordinances
City Representation
Clover Avenue
Committees
Transfer license from Omnitrax/RR to Margaret
Railroad Crossings
Old Acton Road Paving Project
Mayor Pro Tem Position
Council Pay
Water Department Budget
Capital Improvement Plan
Reserve Fund

Thank You,Matt Tortorice

Dec 11^th Agenda Email:

Matt Tortorice <mtortorice@gmail.com>	Wed, Dec 11, 2024, 11:23 PM
to Mayor, District, District, District, District, District, Erskine, City

Members of the Margaret City Council,

I hope this message finds you well. As we approach the close of the year, I wanted to bring to your attention several agenda items from 2024 that were discussed but appear to have been dropped or remain unresolved. These issues are critical to the growth and functionality of our city and should be revisited to ensure they are addressed effectively.

Below is a list of the outstanding items that I recommend adding back to future agendas for continued discussion and resolution:

Recurring Unresolved Items:

Employee Handbook: Consistently discussed throughout the year, but no adoption or resolution has been recorded in the minutes.
Brookhaven Grant: Ongoing grant discussions and project plans need to be finalized and implemented.
Dillard Park Development: Retaining wall and renovations, including the proposed splash pad, remain incomplete.
Redistricting: Regularly listed but no conclusive action has been documented.
Budget: consistently brought up but no resolution.

Specific Unresolved Items:

Fire Truck : Urgent need for a new Firetruck was raised earlier in the year still lack resolution.
Speed Bumps in Brookhaven: Discussed in August by Chan Stringer but not followed up.
Sewer Inspections and Improvements: Listed multiple times, with no documented resolution.
Employee Raises: Annual Raises for city employees.
Dillard Park Splash Pad:

Items that have been brought up but never added to the Agenda:

Water Capacity Operations/Plan
Budget

City Plan
Financial Reports
City Organizational Ordinance
Transfer license from Omnitrax/RR to Margaret
Council Pay
Water Department Budget
Capital Improvement Plan
Reserve Fund
Senior Citizen Center at the Public Works Annex: Councilman Jonathan Ray suggested using the Public Works Annex for a senior citizen center, but this did not appear as a formal agenda item.
Clearing Purchased Land for Development: Councilman Jonathan Ray proposed clearing recently purchased land to attract developers. Although discussed, this was not added to future agendas for action.
Fire Department Staffing and Budget: Discussions around fire department staffing and implementing stricter requirements for builders to use fire-rated materials or maintain spacing between homes were not added to agendas.

I kindly request that these items be added back to the agenda for upcoming council meetings. Ensuring these matters are resolved will demonstrate our commitment to effective governance and responsiveness to our city’s needs.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I look forward to discussing these items further and working together to address them.

Best regards,Matt Tortorice

January 2^nd Agenda Email:

District 4 <district4@cityofmargaretalabama.gov>	Thu, Jan 2, 9:21 AM
to Mayor, District, District, District, District, Erskine, City,

As we start a new year, I wanted to bring to your attention back to several agenda items from 2024 that were discussed but appear to have been dropped or remain unresolved. These issues are critical to the growth and functionality of our city and should be revisited to ensure they are addressed effectively.

Below is a list of the outstanding items that I recommend adding back to future agendas for continued discussion and resolution. I also propose adding Lauren McAvoy and Shelby Eldridge to the agenda for upcoming meetings to facilitate discussions on matters related to their concerns raised with the city.

Recurring Unresolved Items

Employee Handbook: Consistently discussed throughout the year, but no adoption or resolution has been recorded in the minutes.
Brookhaven Grant: Ongoing grant discussions and project plans need to be finalized and implemented.
Dillard Park Development: Retaining wall and renovations, including the proposed splash pad, remain incomplete.
Redistricting: Regularly listed but no conclusive action has been documented.
Budget: Consistently brought up but no resolution.

Specific Unresolved Items

Speed Bumps in Brookhaven: Discussed in August by Chan Stringer but not followed up.
Sewer Inspections and Improvements: Listed multiple times, with no documented resolution.
Employee Raises: Annual raises for city employees.
Dillard Park Splash Pad: Progress still incomplete.

Items Never Added to the Agenda

Water Capacity Operations/Plan
Budget
City Plan
Financial Reports
City Organizational Ordinance
Council Pay
Water Department Budget
Capital Improvement Plan
Reserve Fund

Other Proposed Agenda Items

Senior Citizen Center at the Public Works Annex: Councilman Jonathan Ray suggested using the Public Works Annex for a senior citizen center, but this did not appear as a formal agenda item.
Clearing Purchased Land for Development: Councilman Jonathan Ray proposed clearing recently purchased land to attract developers. Although discussed, this was not added to future agendas for action.
Fire Department Staffing and Budget: Discussions around fire department staffing and implementing stricter requirements for builders to use fire-rated materials or maintain spacing between homes were not added to agendas.

I kindly request that these items, along with discussions involving Lauren McAvoy and Shelby Eldridge, be added back to the agenda for upcoming council meetings. Ensuring these matters are resolved will demonstrate our commitment to effective governance and responsiveness to our city’s needs.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I look forward to discussing these items further and working together to address them.

Sincerely,Matt Tortorice

Feb 11^th Agenda Email:

District 4

Mayor;District 5;District 3;District 2;District 1;

I am following up on the email I sent on January 2, 2025, regarding several unresolved and recurring agenda items that remain unaddressed. Since that time, the only item that has been added to the agenda is Council Pay, which was discussed and ultimately voted to remain the same.

One of the most pressing issues that has yet to be addressed is redistricting. Given its significance, I am formally calling for another public hearing on redistricting to ensure transparency and community input in the process. Our city attorney has already expressed concern over the lack of progress on this matter, and it is critical that we take action rather than continue to delay.

Additionally, I want to reiterate my request to bring back the previously listed unresolved agenda items for discussion and resolution. These issues are essential to the city’s governance, infrastructure, and future planning, and they deserve the council’s attention.

I would appreciate confirmation on when a public hearing on redistricting will be scheduled, as well as an update on the status of the other outstanding agenda items. Thank you for your time and attention to these matters.

Furthermore, I would like to discuss how the city council can support the fire chief in achieving his Advanced EMT certification goals mentioned at our last meeting. Strengthening our emergency response capabilities is a vital investment in public safety, and I believe we should explore ways to assist him in this endeavor. And so I am asking to have this added to the agenda.

Sincerely,Matt TortoriceCity Councilman, District 4City of Margaret, AL

Feb 13^th 2025 Agenda Email:

From: District 4
Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2025 12:12 PM
To: Mayor <mayor@cityofmargaretalabama.gov>; District 5 <district5@cityofmargaretalabama.gov>; District 1 <district1@cityofmargaretalabama.gov>; District 3 <district3@cityofmargaretalabama.gov>; District 2 <district2@cityofmargaretalabama.gov>; City Clerk <cityclerk@cityofmargaretalabama.gov>; ‘Erskine Funderburg’ <erskine@tfrbf.com>
Subject: Redistricting Agenda Item

Oops! Looks like we somehow forgot to include redistricting on the last agenda—despite it being unresolved business. Shocking, I know. So, before the magical auto-email sends out the council package on Saturday at 3, I just wanted to gently remind everyone that maybe redistricting should actually be on the agenda this time. Just a thought!

Matt Tortorice

March 26^th 2025 Agenda Email:

District 4

Mayor;District 5;District 3;District 2;District 1;+2 others

City of Margaret,

I am once again following up on my previous emails from January 2 and February 11, which outlined numerous unresolved and recurring agenda items that continue to be omitted from council discussion. To date, only one item at a time has been formally added, and even those are now being excluded entirely—despite the urgency and significance of several issues I’ve brought forward.

The following unaddressed and outstanding items need to be included for public discussion and council action at an upcoming meeting:

Water Impact Fee
Dillard Park Improvements
Fire Department Repairs and Staffing
Employee Handbook
Budget Workshop
Argo Sewer Franchise Agreement

Additionally, I remain concerned about the ongoing lack of transparency and preparedness related to our meeting materials. Important documents are often excluded from council packets, distributed at the meeting with no time for review, or not provided at all. This not only hampers informed decision-making by the council but also limits public understanding and participation.

I am also deeply troubled by the inconsistent and subjective process by which agenda items are selected. Several requests I’ve submitted—on topics previously discussed—have been omitted without explanation, while agenda items from other council members are included even when there is no documentation or preparation to support discussion. This creates an appearance of preferential treatment and undermines the principle of fair representation for District 4.

Therefore, I am formally requesting that:

The items listed above—along with all unresolved items from my prior emails—be added to upcoming council agendas.
The city provide clear criteria and procedures for how agenda items are evaluated and approved to ensure consistency, equity, and transparency.

Lastly, I am submitting a list of road repairs needed across the city—compiled from resident concerns. Since the city has already approved repairs for roads not formally accepted by the council, I request that these additional roads also be evaluated for patching and resurfacing.

I also want to stress the importance of compliance with state bid laws. It appears that some recent work may have been executed without soliciting the required number of quotes. To protect the integrity of the process and uphold our responsibility to taxpayers, all upcoming repair work should follow procurement regulations and include competitive bidding.

Thank you for your attention to these critical matters. I respectfully request a response confirming which items will be added to the agenda, and when they will be addressed.

Sincerely,Matthew TortoriceCity Councilman, District 4City of Margaret

Roads to be Repaired:

Jamaica Ln

Leverts Way

Magnolia Lake Ct

South Haven Circle

Small Lake Dr

Hawkins Dr

Hathaway Lane

Kent Dr

Rockwell Cir

Kincaid Cove Lane

Terri Lane

Brookhaven Lane

Madison Lane

Lindas Loop

Horton Drive

Ryan Circle

Taylor Dr

Virginia Way

Acton Loop Rd

Dust Ridge Rd

Batson Road

Acton Circle

Woodland Ridge Rd

Woodland Circle

Alison Ct

Woodland Terrace

Black Creek Trail

Gina Ln

Black Creek Way

April 22^nd Agenda Email:

District 4

Mayor;District 5;District 3;District 2;District 1;+2 others

Mayor and Members of Council,

I’m writing to follow up on my January 2, 2025 email regarding several unresolved agenda items from 2024 that have yet to be addressed. I would like to revisit the other remaining outstanding matters:

1. Recurring Unresolved Items

Employee Handbook: Adoption still pending.
Brookhaven Grant: Final project plans and implementation need completion.
Dillard Park Development: Retaining wall repairs and drainage renovations remain incomplete.
Budget: No final vote or documentation has been recorded.

2. Specific Unresolved Items

Speed Bumps in Brookhaven: Originally discussed in August by Chan Stringer, no follow‑up has occurred.
Sewer Inspections & Improvements: Multiple listings but no resolution.
Employee Raises: Annual adjustments have not been scheduled.
Dillard Park Splash Pad: Progress stalled.
Sinkhole on Allison Court

3. Items Never Added to the Agenda

Water Capacity Plan to Resolution
Organizational Ordinance
Financial Reports & Reserve Fund
Water Department Budget & Capital Improvement Plan

To ensure transparency and effective governance, I respectfully request:

Scheduling: Confirmation of which upcoming meeting(s) these items will be placed on the agenda.
Timeline: Any target dates for finalizing or resolving each item.

Additionally, at our last meeting I mentioned the fire chief’s goal of completing his Advanced EMT certification. Strengthening our emergency response capabilities is vital. Could we please add a brief agenda item to discuss how the council can assist him—whether through funding courses, adjusting his schedule, or other support mechanisms?

And finally, I want to add City Information Requests Process to the Agenda.

Thank you for your attention to these important issues. I look forward to your guidance on when we can begin moving these initiatives forward.

Sincerely,Matthew Tortorice City Councilman, District 4 City of Margaret, AL

April 30^th Agenda Email:

District 4

Mayor;District 5;District 3;District 2;District 1;+2 others

I would like to add Don Kitchens water meter issue, Clover Ave Curb Damage and Woodland Cir & Clover Speed Bumps to the agenda.

Thank You,Matt Tortorice

June 13^th Agenda Email:

District 4

Mayor;District 5;District 3;District 2;District 1;+2 others

I want to make sure my remaining agenda requests below are included in the agenda and add one more.

Please Add Logan Glass, Elementary School Grant to the Agenda as well.

Thank You,Matt Tortorice