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At the Gardendale Council Meeting last Monday night, the council heard that Joella’s (formerly announced as Joel’s) is awaiting a health department inspection before they can set an opening date.

The restaurant recently announced the name change to distance themselves from other Joel’s Restaurants in the area. The Facebook post announcing the name change explained the name change was needed because the restaurant is not affiliated with the other restaurants or owned by the same people. The restaurant will have a “meat and three” style of lunch and dinner.

Work on Joella’s included new signage that has gone up in the last week as the restaurant enters the final stages before opening.

The council also heard that work is expected to begin on Captain D’s in approximately three weeks. The restaurant has been closed since it was damaged by a fire in early December 2018. The repairs have been delayed by the restaurant chain’s rebuilding of the Panama City store, which was destroyed by hurricane. The Gardendale location hopes to reopen by July 1.

In other business, the council also:

•honored Bragg Middle School and Gardendale High School’s Science Olympiad teams for their recent success in competition. The high school team won the county competition and went on to compete at state.

•presented Miss Gardendale Magnolia Festival’s Outstanding Teen 2019 Sophia Porrill with a plaque naming April Donate Life Month in order to encourage people to consider organ donation.

•acknowledged that they had received a favorable report for the 2018 audit, which has been completed by an outside source.

•held the second reading of an ordinance to approve the annexation of 2126 Fieldstown Road, which is the building that was formerly the home of Fultondale Gas.

•approved a budget amendment in the amount of $3,943.25 to fund the new radios and upgrades to the systems that will improve communications for the city’s public works, park and inspections departments.

•approved the hiring of two part-time summer laborers for the city’s park and recreation department.

•amended the city’s street light policy to ensure developers in the future use LED lights. It also changed the way the city and developers divide the responsibility for the lights.

•approved a resolution that renews the service agreement with Cummins Sales and Service for management of the generator at the civic center. The annual cost is $1,205.

•approved the city’s participation in the annual Back to School Tax Holiday scheduled for July 19-21.

•approved a resolution surplussing a 2003 Mustang not needed by the city.

•fixed the demolition costs for the condemned structure at 1719 Ridge Road at $4,600.

•approved a resolution to add streetlights at Trist Drive/Highway 31 and 3141 Teresa Drive.

•heard from Mayor Stan Hogeland that he will host his annual State of the City address at this month’s Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Gardendale Civic Center on April 11, beginning at 11:30 a.m. There is a $10 charge to attend the luncheon.