LaFayette Council settles $8,841 water plant bill
BY SAM VISE
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE — At a special called LaFayette City Council meeting on Aug. 26, the council voted to pay an $8,841 invoice from Brown Diving LLC, resolving a payment dispute following emergency diving services at the city’s water plant.
The matter arose when Water Plant Superintendent Sabrina Chatmon had to hire a diver on short notice to inspect the lake intake and wet well during an emergency water pump failure. A previous diver had completed work on the system for $617, but was unavailable when urgent work was required.
Brown Diving was called in on two separate days, later billing the city $9,194 — which included roughly $350 in credit card processing fees. The diver submitted a multipage explanation stating that working around an active intake involves hazardous differential pressure, justifying the higher rate.
City Attorney Joseph Tucker advised the council that while the price was not negotiated beforehand, fighting the bill in court carried significant financial and practical risks.
“He’ll have six months to be able to sue the city to try to get his money,” Tucker said. “I would think between expert witness and the attorney’s fees, they’d run probably $3,000, $4,000 just to defend... and you can still lose. There’s no guaranteed outcome.”
Tucker also urged the council to consider the emergency nature of the work and the city’s relationship with outside contractors.
“The other criteria I think the council has to remember is we were in a tight [position], and somebody showed up,” Tucker said. “One [factor to consider] is the damage we might have to our good name and reputation with other contractors.”
Chatmon said during the work, officials discovered the city was operating from older site plans that did not reflect an upgraded second intake. The council agreed to pay the base invoice amount of $8,841, noting the situation served as a valuable learning experience for handling emergency quotes moving forward.
“I think it’s a lesson that we all can learn from,” said Council Member Tammie Williams. “I’d like to entertain the notion that we just go ahead and pay the bill because at the end of the day, we’re going to pay one way [or another]. It’s our reputation on the line; Sabrina’s reputation is on the line. So, I think we could possibly be out more money… next time we’ll know to find out how much it’ll be beforehand.”
In other business, the council:
Voted to declare approximately 600 replaced water meters as surplus, authorizing Water Distribution Superintendent Allen Garrett to dispose of them to the dealer providing the highest scrap metal price.
Took no formal action regarding stormwater runoff complaints near the Sanco Carwash along U.S. 431. Property owner Randall Sanders raised concerns regarding Alabama Department of Transportation paving and potential sewer intrusion. City officials noted Garrett disputes the sanitary sewer claim and agreed to monitor ALDOT’s upcoming on-site review before determining if city engineering intervention is needed.
Suspended the rules for a first reading and passed an ordinance approving the city’s participation in the 2027 Severe Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday scheduled for Feb. 26-28, 2027.
Adopted a resolution to satisfy state annual transportation plan requirements, allocating an estimated $39,000 in upcoming state gas tax revenue to continue reimbursing the city for prior street resurfacing projects.
Approved a resolution to name Harmon Engineering as the selected firm for the Appalachian Regional Commission Downtown Water Improvement Project grant application, choosing them over BSI Engineering based on committee scoring.
Approved audited accounts totaling $773,151.11.
Heard comments from Council Member Charlene Story, who raised concerns regarding city communication during weekend power outages and submitted a work order regarding a damaged sidewalk on LaFayette Street North.
Heard public comments from citizen Robert Gardner, who addressed right-of-way mowing enforcement, progress on commercial dumpsters on Drake Avenue, unaddressed dilapidated properties and the status of asphalt-covered sidewalks.
