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Seven appointed to Historic Preservation Commission
The city of Bessemer is restoring its Historic Preservation Commission.
Mayor Kenneth Gulley nominated the following 7 Bessemer residents to serve as commissioners:
The Downtown Bessemer Historic District, in Bessemer, Alabama, is a historic district which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
Mayor Kenneth Gulley nominated the following 7 Bessemer residents to serve as commissioners:
- Alice Royal
- Craig Rackley
- Melanie Bouyer
- Joe Openshaw
- LaKenya Bend
- Edward Wilson
- Ralph Ruggs
The Bessemer City Council unanimously affirmed the nominations on Tuesday. Commission members serve without pay and will serve staggered terms. The city of Bessemer has a rich history with many historic structures and places. The reinstitution of the historic commission will assist the city in managing its historic inventory and promoting the city’s history.
Section 66-34 of the City of Bessemer Code grants the historic preservation commission certain authority, among them being:
- Prepare and maintain an inventory of all property within the city having the potential for designation as historic property.
- Recommend to the city council specific places, districts, sites, buildings, structures, objects or works of art to be designated by ordinance as historic properties or historic districts.
- Review applications for certificates of appropriateness and grant or deny same in accordance with the provisions of this article.
- Recommend to the city council that the designation of any place, district, site, building, structure, objects or work of art as a historic property or as a historic district be revoked or removed.
- Restore and preserve any historic properties acquired by the city or acquired by the commission.
- Seek out local, state, federal and private funds for historic preservation, and make recommendations to the city council concerning the most appropriate uses of any funds acquired.
- Perform historic preservation activities as the official agency of the city preservation program.
