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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

CALERA – The Calera City Council further discussed the possibility of changing its form of government during a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, May 5.

Over the last several months, the Calera City Council has explored the possibility of hiring a city manager position to assist with organization and to oversee the day-to-day operations of the city. Calera’s neighboring municipalities of Alabaster and Pelham both utilize city managers.

During the meeting on May 5, Council member Calvin Morgan brought up for discussion the possibility of a resolution changing the city of Calera to a council-manager form of government which would see a future city manager become the day-to-day operator of the city with the mayor serving in a smaller administrative capacity.

Attorney Brian Kilgore explained that in order to change the city’s form of government to a council-manager system, the city of Calera would need an act by the legislative delegation or to have a petition for a special election. The petition would require a certain number of signatures from Calera residents that voted in the last election.

“Those are the only two forms in which you can actually change the format so that the city manager becomes the day-to-day operator of the city,” Kilgore said. “The other one that I think we discussed was simply hiring a city manager but that doesn’t change the governance of the city itself. The mayor would maintain his duties and obligations, you would just have a new person that is an employee of the city that would basically be able execute some of those duties with the mayor.”

Currently, the city of Calera is already set to change its form of government following a resolution that was approved in August 2024. Following the 2025 election, the Calera mayor will no longer be a voting member of the City Council and the council president will assume the responsibilities of leading council meetings.

After cities in Alabama surpass a population of 12,000, the mayor no longer sits on the council or has voting power on the council and instead has veto power. Most of Calera’s surrounding municipalities have already moved on to this form of government, including Alabaster, Pelham and Helena. The change to the city’s form of government will go into effect with the establishment of the next Calera City Council following the 2025 election.

In other business, Morgan brought before the council a proposition to award the Key to the City to Calera Main Street President Dennis Torrealba for the work he has accomplished in the downtown area.

“I was thinking about an individual who has done so much for the city—and there’s a number of people who have done so much,” Morgan said. “This individual that I am nominating to receive this prestigious award… (and) to receive a key to the city would be Dennis in as far as what he has done and what he has brought to the city and his leadership over the Main Street board of directors.”

After discussion with the mayor, the council determined that it would make a formal presentation during the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting which is set for Monday, May 19.

“I personally appreciate you (Dennis) taking the lead on our downtown project,” Mayor Jon Graham said. “I know you have a huge investment personally with your business and all your endeavors down there but it takes somebody with some guts, some finances, some vision. It takes what you have invested in our downtown and it doesn’t go unnoticed.”

During the meeting, James Alexander with the Waterstone Homeowners Association addressed the council and shared that the Waterstone development has two streets that did not receive the final topcoat and requested that the city assist in paving or to help in locating the developer responsible for finishing the project.

Terry J. Cobb, president of the Calera Kiwanis Club, introduced himself to the council and shared his plans to create a festival or carnival in the city in order to support Calera schools. Representatives of Calera Main Street expressed their support for the idea and requested to work with Cobb on the project. Graham and the council shared that they were interested in the project moving forward.

In other business, the Calera City Council approved the following items on the agenda:

• A resolution for surplus office chairs
• An ordinance for the 2025 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday
• An ordinance removing the need for a yearly review of the Calera Entertainment District