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Archives
04-05-2000 News Old LA Monument Crumbling
Parking Restricted
At City Gravel Lot
Making the motion, Alderman Robert Jolley said, "Some time ago, 18 months or so, I made a motion to allow open parking on the city's parking lot on East Main Street, what we commonly call the gravel parking lot. The occurrences of the last two weeks - I've changed my mind. "The trash has been awful. We have allowed cans to be put there, which they tend not to use - beer bottles, first one thing and another. And a couple of week's ago we had a "domestic dispute" I'll call it, for lack of a better term. "Profanity was unbelievable. One sheriff's officer stopped, and my wife called for assistance, and the first thing you know there were five or six police cars there, which I appreciate very much." The Board voted unanimously to put the parking lot back to restricted hours. A motion to allow tobacco back in City of Livingston buildings as it was before being banned failed with Aldermen Jolley, Johnny Halfacre, and Bill Winningham voting no. Alderman Jolley proposed changing the town charter to allow all citizens of Livingston, whether city employees or not, to run for elected office in the City of Livingston. Alderman Harold Watson is a city employee and Alderman Johnny Stover is a patrolman with the Livingston Police Department. Mayor Hosea Winningham expressed concern over allowing city employees to hold office in the city. "The way I look at it, coming up in four years, you could have six city employees running City Hall,Ó he said, "and I don't think that's right to the people out there, the taxpayers." The mayor said if four employees were on the Board, the tax rate couldn't be set because the four would not be allowed to vote on money matters concerning their departments of employment. It would be a conflict of interest. City Attorney Kelly Williams informed the Board that state law says employees cannot hold elected office unless the city charter says they can. She said policemen are allowed to participate in political activity, but the courts have not yet addressed whether a police officer can hold elected office for the city he is employed by. The involved Board members dispute the interpretation of the law and how it is applied. The Town of Livingston charter does not address employees serving as aldermen. Left to the state law, it is unlikely the courts would allow policemen to serve in a capacity barred from other employees, creating discrimination against all other employees. It is also unlikely the courts would strike down the rule against employees serving as aldermen because a city department could, in effect, take control of all city departments by getting its personnel elected to the majority of seats on a board. According to Mayor Winningham, to change the city charter, an ordinance must be drawn up, approved by the Board of Aldermen, then a public hearing set and held, then passed on second reading by the Board, then sent to the state for approval. This could not be done by the April 15 qualifying deadline. Alderman Watson attempted to second the motion, but Mayor Winningham pointed out that it would be inappropriate because it was a conflict of interest that personally affects Watson. Alderman Watson withdrew his second, and Alderman Thurman Langford seconded the motion. The motion failed with Aldermen Bill Winningham and Johnny Halfacre voting no, Aldermen Robert Jolley and Thurman Langford voting yes, and Aldermen Harold Watson and Johnny Stover abstaining from the vote. Though the motion failed, the matter is still in dispute whether Aldermen Watson and Stover can be placed on the ballot for the city election. Alderman Watson said, "My name will be on the ballot come April 15." The Board agreed to purchase a new Impala police car for use by Police Chief Roger Phillips. The bid of Skinner Chevrolet of Livingston was accepted at a cost of $19,820. Alderman Stover passed on the vote. The Board voted to restrict large truck traffic on the south side of Airport Road. Long trucks have had trouble negotiating the sharp turn, causing the road to be blocked while the trucks try to get out of the curve. A warning sign will be placed at approximately Buena Vista Drive and a Do Not Enter sign, with the truck length prohibited stated, placed at approximately Carr Avenue. A public hearing will be held Friday, April 21 at 10 a.m. for a beer permit for Food Lion. Food Lion already has a beer permit, but the name on the license needs to be changed. The meeting adjourned. Patrol cars from Livingston Police Department and Overton County Sheriff's Department lined the entrance to the gravel parking lot on East Main Street a few weeks ago, the scene of a dispute that prompted restricting parking in the area. (photo by Dewain E. Peek)
County Legislative
Body Meeting Set For April 11 Computers The Overton County Legislative Body will hold the regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 11. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. The County Commission formerly met on the third Monday of each month, but the meeting night was changed in the last Commssion meeting to the second Tuesday of each month. The tentative agenda is as follows: 1. Call to order - Sheriff's Department. A. Budget and Purchasing Committee, Chairman David Dorminey.
Overton County News |
