By John Brice
Correspondent
The LaFayette City Council met on Monday, April 22nd of 2024 at the Chambers County Farmers Federation Agricultural Center at the ALFA building in LaFayette. In attendance were Mayor Kenneth Vines, Councilman Terry G. Mangram, Councilman Toney B. Thomas, Councilman Michael C. Ellis and Councilwoman Tammie B. Williams. Fire Chief James Doody, City Clerk Louis T. Davidson, City Attorney Joseph M. Tucker, Street, Sanitation and Cemetery Superintendent George Green and LaFayette Police Department Interim Chief Captain Christopher Trice were also present. The meeting began with an invocation led by Mayor Vines and standard procedures such as roll call as well as approval of the minutes from the previous meeting.
First up at the podium was American Red Cross Senior Disaster Program Manager Jamar Brewton to speak on involvement with Chambers County. Brewton remarked that last month had been Red Cross month which underscores the importance of readiness in the face of hurricane season. Encouraging the public to support volunteers and increase their numbers in the county, Brewton emphasized that it is a matter of not if but when disaster will strike and pledged to always engage the community and to support it.
Next up on the agenda was Allen Tucker from Harmon Engineering & Contracting Co., Inc. for a discussion on the 2nd Street NE bridge replacement. Engineer Tucker indicated that after evaluating the bridge in person he had observed subsidence in abutments and noted that the county had sent out its own inspector who found corroded i-beams and a deteriorating concrete deck.
The recommended course of action is to replace the bridge with a concrete culvert which will hopefully mean no need for a Corp of Engineers permit as long as the budget can be kept under $100,000. Explaining the need for the city to enter into a contract with Harmon Engineering to begin the design and bidding process, the motion was approved to move forward with the repair project.
Mayor Vines then switched topics to a LaFayette Beautification Committee request for the purchase of a bench and two new steel garbage cans. Committee member Pam Holloway had notified the city of the request for the items to be placed downtown on the square which LaFayette Main Street Executive Director Deanna Hand addressed the council briefly to explain that a local family had asked to pay for the bench as a donation. Councilman Thomas made the motion to table the discussion until the council had confirmation on costs and location specifics which was approved.
Topics then switched to a 2024-2025 dispatch service agreement discussion and following that Councilman Ellis raised concerns over the accuracy of addresses in the city limits being listed in 911 emergency systems. In a second reading of resolution No. 2024-04-08-01 which is a 2023 -2024 Annual Line Item Budget that motion was approved by a roll call vote and following that five cemetery deed conveyances were combined into a single motion that was approved and the meeting was adjourned.
