LaFayette City Council discusses the towing ordinance

BY KADIE TAYLOR

THE LAFAYETTE SUN

LAFAYETTE — At the regularly scheduled Monday, March 23 LaFayette City Council Meeting, the council approved regular business and discussed community complaints over vehicle towing.

District E City Council Member Tammie Williams received calls regarding concerns and frustrations by constituents over the towing of cars as a result of infractions of a city ordinance.

“I got some calls, and I directed them to you, Council Member Langley, because I didn’t partake
in that,” said Williams. “I didn’t have any dealings with that. It wasn’t anything that I would have done. So I want the record to reflect it. If I’m tagged in something accusing me of something, I’ll see you about it. I didn’t know anything about that. I didn’t know it was happening. Didn’t know it was going to happen now, and Council Member Thomas didn’t. I don’t mind standing up for something that I’ve done, but I’m not taking somebody else asking. So I just wanted that to be on the record, Clerk, I didn’t know about it. I told them I didn’t know about it, and I didn’t have any part [in it]. And so I got Diane to do the ordinance search, and I think that we should look over all of these ordinances — that one was 29 years old. There’s a lot of change since 29 years [ago]. It’s not safe to be in people’s backyards, because if you come in my backyard, I’m gonna give you an early ticket to go see Jesus. It’s just not safe for you, it’s just not; it’s dangerous to walk in somebody’s backyard and start doing something they are not even aware you’re doing or about to do. You can die. You can die easily.”

Multiple council members discussed the possibility of reviewing the outdated ordinances and the need to do so. Langley responded with his experience with the particular ordinance.

“Having done the job, I think I can speak from experience,” he said. “One, I don’t know who we’re talking about. I’ve got an idea who one of them is, and if they want to call and chew on me, bring it up. We’ve let too much go. We’ve got about three or four in town that are doing anything they want with no repercussions. And whoever [from the city], if you went in that backyard today [to tow the vehicles], I’m not going to stand up and applaud you, but,” Langley clapped, “good for you.”

Williams asked Langley how many vehicles he towed while he worked for the city of LaFayette.

“I removed over 160 cars, I didn’t tow them,” he said. “But I applaud him if he is towing them, because we’ve played with these people. We have given them upteen dozen chances. We have
at least four houses that have cars all in their yard, they’ve been there for three years — in their front yard. And because we played with these people, we have people to put stuff in the backyard. We’ve got to stop this, and these ordinances do need to be addressed. I said that three years ago when I took a job; these ordinances are way out of whack, but we cannot allow this to continue. We are a city, we’re not a junkyard. And if it’s in your backyard, I mean, I keep my backyard clean. And if my neighbor moves in next door to me, and he’s got a bunch of cars in his backyard, you better believe I’m going to be calling and raising cain, because I don’t want that next door to me. And I suspect some of these people that are getting towed, I don’t know who they are, but I suspect somebody is next door to them and they don’t like it.”

Williams again raised concerns over city employees going into the backyards of residents and said the ordinance is old and no longer relevant. Langley said even if the ordinance is old, it is the current ordinance, and if someone is getting towed, they are acting against the ordinance. He also asked Williams why she had not previously addressed the outdated ordinances since she has been a member of the council for many years.

“Because it wasn’t my business what’s in somebody’s backyard,” she said. “My job is to worry about District E... I don’t have the right to go into anybody’s backyard and tell them how to clean up.”

Williams used a dismissive phrase to say she does not care about what happens outside her district.

During public comments, constituent Steve White shared his perspective of the dilemma.

“Miss Williams, your primary responsibility is for the city of LaFayette,” he said.

“My primary responsibility is to District E,” she said.

“Your primary responsibility is for the city of LaFayette and also as a city council member,” he said. “You have been here 25 years, and you need to do something about it.”

“Vote me out, vote me out,” she said. “My constituents have voted me in.”

“I hope we can [vote you out],” he said.

During another public comment, White and Williams began an exchange while White was sitting in the audience.

“Shoot me the bird, Council Member Williams, I dare you to shoot me the bird,” he said.

Williams then raised her middle finger at him. The council then proceeded to vote on the rest of the regular business.

In Other Business

• The council approved the reading of minutes from the March 9 regular council meeting.

• City Attorney Mac Tucker presented a notice of a claim made by Eric Glenn; there was no item to vote on regarding the notice.

• The board voted to approve the Little League ball field repairs and accepted the lowest bid from Brook’s Construction for $7,500.
• The board discussed alternative dates for the April meetings due to a conference that conflicts with the April 27 regularly scheduled council meeting. The April meetings were scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, and Monday, April 20. The May meetings were voted on and scheduled for Monday, May 4, and Tuesday, May 19.
• The council voted to change the payroll work week for city employees to Wednesday through Tuesday.

• The council voted to approve the account audits. • The council voted to convey Handy Cemetery Deed # 1836 to Evelyn Hill Huguley.

• The council voted to convey Handy Cemetery Deed # 1837 to Sharavenia Story.

• The council voted to convey Handy Cemetery Deed # 1838 to Kimberly Minnefield.

• The council voted to convey Handy Cemetery Deed # 1839 to Shinetta Goss.