Grass is growing on the site of the Hotel Talisi where brick walls once framed a concrete slab.
Just before the Tallassee City Council met last week, the city received a $35,000 cash offer to purchase the site where the Hotel Talisi once stood. Some council members said they didn’t realize the property was for sale. Mayor Sarah Hill said the property hadn’t been listed.
Tallassee city attorney John Smith said the council is not required to act on the offer.
“You are not required to surplus that property,” Smith told the council. “You are not required to sell it. The city can keep it for as long as the city wants to or not. Just because there is an offer to buy doesn’t mean the city has to sell it.
“As best I can tell, [the proposed buyer] wants to create a parking lot.”
Hill said the letter came just hours before the meeting and in her opinion shouldn’t be acted on.
“I think we should hold onto the property until at least the downtown streetscape project is complete so that we can see what the actual value of the property is by having it appraised,” Hill said. “There is no need to rush.”
Second March meeting rescheduled
At its Feb. 28 meeting the council voted to cancel the second March meeting believing it was during the Tallassee City Schools spring break. Several of the council members had scheduled vacations for spring break and would not be in attendance.
At Tuesday’s meeting it was decided the original meeting date was not during spring break and the council voted to reinstate the second meeting of the month on March 28.
In other action the Tallassee City Council:
• Approved minutes of the Feb. 28 meeting.
• Approved a proclamation for Arbor Day.
• Approved a $91,000 inspection contract for installation of gas lines along Alabama highways in the city limits.
• Took no action on vacation of an old roadway until more research could be done.
The Tallassee City Council is scheduled to meet again at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 28.