BY SAM VISE
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE — The LaFayette City Council on Nov. 9 approved a multiday downtown street closure to accommodate extensive roof replacement on the square and expanded local medical services through an agreement with Auburn University Outreach.
The council approved closing Alabama Avenue East between Lafayette Street North and 1st Street Northeast from Nov. 18 through Nov. 21, weather permitting, to allow Eagle Roofing Company to install a new metal roof on the Harmon Insurance building.
Dori Harmon of Harmon Insurance and roofing contractor Eli Culpepper addressed the council alongside Street and Sanitation Superintendent George Green, explaining that multiple roofing layers applied over decades are water-saturated and require a complete tear-off. Because workers can’t get behind the building, they have to park heavy machinery out on the street to lift 30-foot metal panels and debris boxes up to the roof while avoiding traffic lights and guardrails.
“Really, that’s what it all boils down to — we really need a lull, and the only way a lull is going to work is if we get that road right there blocked off,” Culpepper said. “We’re going to work from sunup to sundown and hopefully we can do it in three days... It would just be too much of a safety hazard for us trying to get a flagger to stop the road in one lane. That would be a nightmare between two traffic lights right there.”
District D Council Member Charlene Story raised questions regarding safety precautions for nearby county offices, pedestrian walkways and communication with the Chambers County Board of Education to coordinate school bus detours around the closure. City officials and Culpepper confirmed that 911 dispatch, the school board, the courthouse and adjacent agencies will be notified prior to setup, and continuous barricades with flashing beacon lights will secure the roadway day and night.
District A Council Member Emily Milford commended Harmon for investing in downtown infrastructure.
“All I want to say is, I know you’re trying to better one of our downtown buildings, and I thank you for that, because we all know that our downtown buildings need work when they can,” Milford said. “So as a business owner and a building owner, thank you for pouring back into the downtown area and having a business on the square that gives back to LaFayette.”
The council also passed a resolution approving a modified memorandum of agreement with Auburn University Outreach and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System to deploy portable telehealth carts at the Chambers County Community Health and Wellness Center. The carts will expand diagnostic and scheduled clinical services — including substance use disorder counseling through UAB, specialized mental health counseling and telehealth appointments through East Alabama Health — alongside the clinic’s existing OnMed station.
In other business:
Milford announced official dates for LaFayette’s annual Christmas celebrations, confirming the downtown Tree Lighting for Tuesday, Dec. 1, on the lawn of the new City Hall, followed by the Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 12. Free parade registration applications will be made available online via QR code, or paper copies can be turned in at the LaFayette Main Street office.
Council members highlighted that 25 trees awarded through the Green Up Grant have officially been planted at the city park through collaborative work across city departments.
Council members recognized the LaFayette Parks and Recreation 8U and 10U youth football teams on winning their respective league championships, with the 10U squad completing an undefeated 7-0 season.
Council members and Mayor Kenneth Vines praised community organizers LaFayette Main Street and Rampey’s Day & Night Child Care Center for hosting successful, well-attended downtown Trunk-or-Treat events on Oct. 29, drawing an estimated 1,000 children into town.
District E Council Member Tammie Williams noted city leadership and the LaFayette Police Department are coordinating with law enforcement instructors to organize a community women’s self-defense and firearms safety course in the coming months.
The council approved accounts payable warrants totaling $476,969.43.
