Abatement for Cazadore’s topic at council meeting

HALEYVILLE - The Haleyville City Council's Feb. 4, meeting was preceded by a public hearing, where the owner of a popular restaurant asked the council for a tax abatement as her business grows.
Paula Ruby Lara, owner of Cazadore's Mexican Restaurant, had filed an application to have a sales tax abatement as she builds a larger restaurant, located on Highway 195.  Lara told Mayor Ken Sunseri and the council during the public hearing that she expected the new facility to employ an additional 2-4 people; however, her application for the abatement indicated that the restaurant will create between 6-10 jobs, with that information placed within a resolution which was passed by the council during the proceeding regular council meeting.
The resolution states that the development will generate not less than six new jobs when the restaurant is fully staffed, and that those jobs will be created within a single quarter of the restaurant opening.  
At that time, Cazadore's will receive 30 percent of the city's .03 sales tax collected from restaurant sales at the restaurant only, to be rebated on or after Feb. 1, of the year following the opening of the restaurant, which is projected for April.  The maximum rebate will be $30,000 or five years worth of rebates, whichever occurs first.  The abatement will not be transferrable to another owner.
In other business, the council approved advertising for several open positions within the city, including a full-time park and recreation employee, two seasonal park and recreation emploees and lifeguards for the pool for the summer season.  The council also approved a resolution supporting the protection of local control over public streets and public assets and a call on Congress to reaffirm such local control by reversing recent actions by the Federal Communications Commission related to wireless facilities by enacting House Resolution 530.  
According to the resolution, orders issued by the FCC Aug. 2, and Sept. 26, 2018, took "unprecedented, sweeping action to prevent local governments from effetively managing public assets", severely compromising their ability to manage the public streets effectively and equitably, taking into account considerations for public safety, public utility services such as water, sewer and electricity, the traveling public, environmental concerns and economic development.
The council passed an amendment to the sales tax ordinance, basically stating only a change in the company that collects the city's sales tax.  A full copy of the ordinance can be read in the legal notices in today's issue of the Alabamian.
Council member Richard Bittinger gave the fire department report for January.  Firefighters responded to 10 calls, four inside the city limits and six outside, as well as held five drills.  Council member Drew Thrasher gave the police department report for January.  Officers responded to 10 accidents and took 44 incident and offense reports.
Haleyville officers also issued 121 citations for the following:
DUI - alcohol - 6;
DUI - controlled substance - 2;
No driver's license - 8;
Driving while license revoked - 9;
Driving while license suspended - 7;
Expired tag - 11;
Switched tag - 4;
No tag - 8;
Insurance violations - 38;
Speeding - 6;
Driving wrong on a one-way street - 1;
Failure to signal - 1;
Failure to stop at a stop sign - 10;
Running a red light - 1;
No seat belt - 1;
Improper equipment - 4;
Improper parking - 1;
Reasonable and prudent speed 2;
No registration in vehicle - 1.

Officers also made 43 arrests during January, filing charges on the following:
Alias - 23;
Drug paraphernalia - 13;
Illegal possession of prescription drugs - 1;
Possession of a controlled substance - 1;
Possession of dangerous drugs  - 2;
DUI - alcohol - 6;
DUI - controlled substance - 2;
Public intoxication - 1;
Possession of marijuana second degree - 2;
Possession of methamphetamine - 8;
Marijuana possession - 1;
Marijuana - selling/distributing - 3;
Aggravated assault involving a gun - 1;
Simple assault - 3;
Resisting arrest - 1;
Attempting to elude - 1;
Disorderly conduct - 1;
Reckless endangerment - 1;
Possesion of a firearm without a permit - 1;
Drunk/addict in possession of a firearm - 1;
Possession of a pistol of a felon - 1;
Buying/receiving stolen property - 1;
Theft of propert first degree - 1;
Unauthorized use of an auto (no force) - 1;
Criminal trespassing - 2;
Warrant - 1.
The next Haleyville City Council meeting will be Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 5:30 p.m. in the courtroom of Haleyville City Hall.