BURTON CITY COUNCIL VOTES DOWN AOKA CONTRACT, ACCEPTS CITY SECRETARY’S RESIGNATION
A split Burton City Council voted 2-1 on Tuesday to remove an agreement with a planning and inspection firm from the council agenda.
Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Eckhardt and Councilmember Tommie Gilmon voted to remove the agreement with Aoka Engineering from consideration, with Councilmember Paul McLaughlin moving against removing the item. Councilmembers Nathan Kalkhake and Macey Tidwell were absent.
Burton City Council meeting, with many residents
speaking against a proposed agreement with a
planning and inspection firm that was ultimately
removed from the council agenda.
The agreement with Aoka, who provides plan review and inspection services to emerging and rural communities, has been the subject of intense debate among the council and the community. Many residents came to Tuesday’s meeting to express disapproval, citing concerns about the agreement’s cost to the city and potential effects on property owners, questions about the overall need for the agreement at this time, and frustration with the item continually coming up for consideration despite the public’s feedback.
The council held a workshop in late January to narrow the scope of the prospective agreement. Mayor Karen Buck said the city could utilize the firm’s services to ensure new development meets standards and guide in the creation of a subdivision ordinance.
Eckhardt felt the city would be overstepping with the agreement and that it would create more problems than it fixes.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the council accepted the resignation of City Secretary Angela Harrington, whose last day with the city was Wednesday.
Harrington first began working as secretary in 2015 before leaving in January 2020 and returning in February 2022. She told KWHI she plans to spend more time with family.
The council thanked Harrington for her services to the city, with Buck saying Harrington guided the city through some tough times and Gilmon saying she did a great job.
In other business, the council:
- Set a budget public hearing for the 2026-27 general and water/sewer budgets for March 10th at 5:30 p.m. at Burton City Hall.
- Approved an order of election and the adoption of a resolution authorizing an election services contract between the city and Washington County for the May 2nd general election.
- Passed a resolution authorizing the city to enter into an agreement with the state allowing the closure of a segment of the state highway system in the city’s downtown area for the annual Cotton Gin Festival, scheduled for April 18th.