By Ray King
A resolution sponsored by City Council Member Steven Mays expressing no confidence in the leadership of the Street Department and encouraging Mayor Shirley Washington to make a change in that leadership was called inappropriate and embarrassing by other members of the council during a lengthy meeting Monday night.
“We need better plans over our roads,” Mays said. “Rick (Street Department Director Rick Rhoden) and I work good together, but we still run our city like we did 30 years ago.”
Mays ended up pulling the resolution after getting no support from other members of the council including Council Member Joni Alexander who talked about the resolution, and a second also sponsored by Mays “encouraging the Code Enforcement Department to enforce the city’s property maintenance and nuisance regulations with at the Pines Mall.
“I agree there are a lot of issues with the Street Department but there’s a way to handle them without asking for someone’s job,” Council Member Glen Brown Jr. said.
Council member Bruce Lockett seconded Mays’ motion to approve the resolution but said he did so only so that it could be discussed. “I would never do anybody like this,” he said.
Council Member Win Trafford described the legislation as “inappropriate. This is not the place for discussion.”
The second resolution, dealing with the parking lots at the Pines Mall was described by Mays as “neglected” and said under the city code, the owners and employees of the mall are required to maintain their property.
“There is a process to create legislation instead if having resolutions come to the council,” Brown Jr. said.
Karla Williams, who is the director of the City’s Code Enforcement Division said she has made attempts to contact the owners and managers of the mall about cleaning up their property but has not been able to reach anyone and the phone number has been disconnected.
Asked if she had told Mays that, Williams said “he didn’t ask.”
Also Monday, Police Chief Kelvin Sergeant announced that Deputy Chief Kelvin Hadley would be serving as the Interim Assistant Chief.
