Chelsea city council recognizes retiring Mayor Earl Niven
Mayor Earl Niven decided to start off his final city council meeting a little differently.
At the Oct. 25 Chelsea City Council meeting, Niven’s final meeting during his term as mayor, he decided to use the gavel which typically sits behind the council bench.
Niven called the meeting to order in front of a crowd of family, friends, coworkers and fellow mayors — a crowd that required extra chairs be brought into the council chambers.
“This is close to 500 meetings I have conducted as your mayor,” Niven said. “I’ve been blessed by you, the voters, who have voted for me five times — really six times since I served a short period of time.”
During a program following the council meeting, all sitting council members, as well as community leaders, thanked Niven for his work as mayor.
Council member David Ingram presented Niven with the Chelsea Youth Club Award, thanking him for his dedication to the city’s youngest athletes.
“You can just look around our city over the past few years and know that it’s a priority of his to do things for the families and kid of Chelsea,” Ingram said, citing the city’s softball and soccer fields, the Chelsea Community Center and other projects.
Chelsea Fire and Rescue Chief Wayne Shirley also thanked Niven. Shirley is the city of Chelsea’s first fire chief and a lifelong resident.
“You afforded me the opportunity to do a job that I love,” Shirley said. “It’s not a job when you love it, and I still get up every morning and looking forward to coming to work in this community.”
During his time with the fire department, Shirley said he has seen several changes. The support of the community, hard work of staff and support of the mayor and council have helped promote that change. He presented Niven with a Chelsea fire helmet which said “Mayor 31.”
“We’re very fortunate to have the fire department that we do,” Niven said.
Two proclamations in Niven’s honor were also made. City Clerk Becky Landers read a proclamation from Gov. Robert Bentley declaring Oct. 25, 2016 as S. Earl Niven Sr. Day in the state of Alabama. The council voted in favor of a proclamation thanking Niven for his dedication and service to the city.
“My entire life I’ve known you, and it was such an obvious choice for you to be our first mayor,” said council member Alison Nichols. “And although it’s the end of an era, it is such a wonderful thing for you and your family to be able to retire and enjoy the next stage of your life.”
Throughout the program, several others voiced their thanks to Niven, including Sheriff John Samaniego, retired Sheriff Chris Curry, Liberty Baptist Church Pastor Tim Cox, Mayor of Vincent Ray McAlister, Probate Judge Jim Fuhrmeister, Mayor of Harpersville Theo Perkins, city attorney Mark Boardman and Niven’s son, S. Earl Niven Jr.
“Earl has been a shining example for anybody who has a desire to be mayor,” McAlister said.
Fuhrmeister said the “proof is in the pudding,” gesturing to the full room at city hall as proof of Niven’s influence.
“There always has to be one,” Fuhrmeister said. “There has to be one that is that visionary, that guiding light. The one who is willing to step out on the ledge and say, ‘Come on, everybody. Let’s go do this.’ Earl Niven is that one, and I am so proud to be able to call him a friend.”
As he thanked everyone for their support over the last 20 years, Niven also talked about passing the torch to mayor-elect Tony Picklesimer.
“We never had a daughter. But I told Tony that 20 years ago, we had a daughter. Her name was Chelsea,” Niven said. “Chelsea is up now 20 years of age and fixing to get married, and I’m having to turn her over to another man. Chelsea will always be part of us, and I told Tony I can’t think of any better person to take over our daughter, Chelesa.”
Also during the Oct. 25 meeting, the council:
- Appointed Tom Holcombe to the Chelsea Planning Commission.
- Received two rezoning requests. One rezoning request is for a property along Highway 336, and the other was for a family subdivision. A public hearing for both cases will be set at a later date.
- Approved for the city's bills to be paid.