Standing at far right is Debbie Duncan who is showing the Council the Voters List

Eutaw Police Chief Derick Coleman welcomes Cordell Smith, a newly hired officer with the Eutaw Police Department.

 

Special to the Democrat by: John Zippert, Co-Publisher

 Much of Tuesday night’s regular Eutaw City Council meeting was devoted to discussions of rules, regulations, personnel and the voters list for the upcoming August 28 municipal elections. With many incumbents at the Council table planning to run and many challengers sitting in the audience, there was great interest in the unfolding business session.

Debbie Duncan, who was selected at a prior meeting to serve as Absentee Ballot Manager for the Eutaw elections, said she had reviewed the voters list by districts, submitted by the Greene County Board of Registrars and found many persons who were dead, had changed addresses within the city, had moved away altogether or were otherwise incorrectly listed.

After much discussion and an executive session of the Council, it was decided that only the Board of Registrars could purge voters from the voter’s list, based on official information it receives on deaths as reported by the Alabama Department of Public Health and changes of residence reported by voters or officials in other states and localities.

The Eutaw City Council agreed to publish a list of registered voters before the August 28 election and try to send postcards to voters whose polling place had changed due to redistricting.

The Council voted to contract with Attorney E. Kenneth Aycock, a Eutaw resident, to deal with legal issues relating to the elections. He agreed to serve at no charge unless he has to go to court and then he will have to be paid a fee for representation.

The Council approved a list of poll officials for the five district voting sites and the absentee box which will also be published in subsequent issues of the newspaper. Ruthie Thomas was approved as Election Manager since Chief Clerk, Peggy Stripling, has taken a personal leave of absence until after the election. Debbie Duncan was paid for her work on the voters list and preparations for the election.

In other business, the Eutaw City Council:

*Approved a motion for city workers to demolish the swimming pool on Highway 14 and rent whatever equipment is necessary to break up the concrete footings beneath the pool and fill in the site with dirt to prevent any accidents at the site. The Council members voted for this and Mayor Steele voted against because he did not feel the city workers had the capability to do the job and an outside contractor was needed to do the job properly.

 *Council members requested that  Mayor Steele act to recommend seven (7) persons to serve on the newly formed Airport Authority. A majority of the members of the Authority must be persons who are pilots, airplane owners or have an affiliation with the aviation industry, so the authority will be knowledgeable and experienced in the aviation field. The Mayor said he would not be “rushed” into these decisions but would name people at a later date. Councilwoman Sheila H. Smith urged the mayor to act because of the urgency of a grant deadline in October that the Airport Authority needs to prepare for and submit a proposal.

*The Council discussed additional paving in Branch Heights by the Perry County Commission. $62,000 has been spent. The Council voted to authorize additional funds to complete two cul-de-sacs which were left out of the previous discussion. This money is coming from the gas tax fund.

In the public comment session, Branch Heights leader Shirley Winn thanked the City Council for its work on the streets in Branch Heights. She also said additional funds are needed for permanent repair of the streets. She commented on smells emanating from the catfish processing plant and picking up debris on Prairie Avenue after the grass was cut. She further urged the Council to apply for ATRIP funds from the state for additional road repairs in Branch Heights.

*Approved a motion to allow any City Council member to access records of City’s General Fund expenditures for July-August 2008. Several council-members said this would help them assess the cost of past elections and compare to this year’s costs.

*Police Chief Derick Coleman introduced Cordell Smith, a new officer with the Eutaw Police Department. Smith has the required training and certification and worked for five years with the Tuscaloosa Sheriff’s Department and a year prior to that with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department.