LaFayette council corrects cemetery information, discusses law enforcement questions
BY KADIE TAYLOR
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE —The LaFayette City Council met on Dec. 22, with many council members and Mayor Vines wishing locals a merry Christmas.
Council Member for District C, Tony Thomas, requested the LaFayette Sun publish a correction of information regarding the processes for cemetery plots.
The correction is from information in a quote given by Council Member for District D, Charlene Story, that was published in the “Committee discusses improving LaFayette Parks and Recreation” article, based on a Parks and Recreation and Cemeteries Committees meeting held on Dec. 5. Thomas invited Superintendent George Green to share corrected information regarding the cemetery plots process.
“We will go out, showcase what we have — people pick out which section they want to be in, from whatever is provided,” Green said. “When we do that, we go out, we mark the spot and then we go back, and we start our process of a cemetery deed form. This is the first step, it tells you what section, what lot, number and all that stuff is kind of generated. Then the other sheet [is to get the mailing address of the] person who is purchasing a cemetary lot. It’s going to be the same process every day, transferring a lot, purchasing a lot or replacing the deed. And once we do that, we go back and we file it — record it. Now we have the ability to have everything on a hard drive — so we’ve got this information at our fingertips.”
Story said she wanted to apologize for the information previously given.
“I would like to say I did misspeak on the cemetery, and I did go to George and his team and apologize for me misspeaking about the cemetery,” she said. “I am new to this, and it is a learning process for me.”
Addressing concerns raised during recent discussions, Council Member Tammie Williams used the meeting to clarify her position regarding law enforcement practices and invited LaFayette Police Chief Christopher Trice to address the council.
Williams asked Trice whether she or Council Member Tony Thomas had ever instructed him to fire an officer or to stop issuing traffic citations. Trice responded that neither council member had ever made such a request.
“At no time, neither Councilman Thomas nor Councilwoman Williams, came to me and told me to fire an employee,” Trice said.“[Also] you haven’t ever told me at no point to stop writing tickets.”
Williams then emphasized that she has never asked officers to stop writing tickets, but has expressed concern about what she described as “unnecessary citations,” citing minor equipment violations as an example.
“Our citizens are barely making it, and the economy is in bad shape,” Williams said, adding that she believes discretion should be used in certain situations. She concluded by stating that she has not interfered with police operations and invited anyone with questions to speak with her directly.
In Other Business
• The council voted to approve the Dec. 8 minutes from the regular city council meeting.
• The council voted to table the Exchange after-school program request until further information is received.
• There was no second for the vote regarding the ability to hire either a full- or part-time recreation director.
• The council voted to approve the sidewalk discussion.
• There were two votes that occurred regarding the Waterline Replacement Civil Design Services proposal from Harmon Engineering, both of which failed due to a split vote, with the first vote to table the proposal and the second to approve it.
• The council voted to approve the CWSRF Supplemental Loan application for wastewater improvements.
• The council voted not to amend the rules to allow immediate consideration for a change to Ordinance 98, to allow fireworks to be set off on select holidays.
• The council voted to approve the account audits.
• The council voted to rebid for Resolution No. 2025-12-22-01 regarding the award bid for sanitation services.
Announcements
• The next regularly scheduled city council meeting is on Jan. 12 at 5:30 p.m. at the Alfa Insurance building.
• There will be a work session held on Jan. 5 at 5:30 p.m. in the new City Hall.
