Letter to the editor: Resident questions BB&T building use
OPINION —
City officials of LaFayette purchased the former McClendon building located on LaFayette Street April 1, 2016, for the recorded amount of $100,000. Today the building remains vacant with boarded windows and the city paying insurance on the building.
City officials of LaFayette also purchased the former BB&T building located on LaFayette Street, Feb. 4, 2022, for the recorded amount of $177,500. The purpose of the building was to relocate the LaFayette City Hall to a better location and newer facility. The city hall remains in its original facility today. The city pays insurance on the BB&T building.
On June 8, 2022, an article in The LaFayette Sun stated that the council hoped the new office would be ready by October, but the work still has not been done.
On Dec. 16, 2024, Mayor Kenneth Vines informed the Community Action Agency in Dadeville that Tammie Williams, the Chambers County Community Action employee, would be relocated to the former BB&T building while city employees and business remain in the original facility.
It is not the responsibility of the city to provide housing for the Community Action Program to operate its business. The city pays insurance and the monthly utilities for Williams to operate in this building. This is an insult as well as degrading to the city hall employees. They operate the city business in an old building needing many repairs and updating. The lobby has no ventilation, there are cracks in the walls, it has limited space and is not handicapped accessible. Employees work in cramped conditions.
The city hall belongs to the citizens of LaFayette, not the Community Action Program. Again, the city is paying the insurance premiums as well as the monthly utilities for Williams to have possession of the former BB&T building which was purchased by the city to be used for city business with city employees.
The Community Action Program should be moved back to the former location in the Mill Village area.
All required maintenance and renovation should begin immediately so that city hall can relocate. If action is not taken immediately, legal action should be sought.
Randy Talley, LaFayette
Publisher’s note: The June 8, 2022, article titled “Council hopes new offices will be ready by October” reported the city’s hopes and anticipated timeline for moving into the former BB&T building. The article noted that Mayor Kenneth Vines said he would like for the city to be in the building by Aug. 31. However, the article did not report a confirmed deadline or state that the move had been completed.
