By By BILL CRIST – Publisher
After an open discussion, the East Brewton city council passed a re-worded version of an ordinance that deals with moving buildings into and around the city limits.
The original ordinance prohibits the moving of buildings or homes over one year of age into or within the city limits. For the past several weeks, the council has been working on re-writing the ordinance, to allow homes and buildings to move as long as they were brought up to city code within a certain time frame.
A motion to adopt the proposed ordinance ended with a tie vote, with Mayor Terry Clark, councilwoman Bettie Jordan and councilman Byron Palmer each voting against it.
Clark then asked the council to consider changing the wording to allow non-profit groups such as schools and churches to move buildings, provided they pay a $2,000 deposit or performance bond, and bring the buildings up to code. That motion passed by a 4-2 vote, with Palmer and councilman Dewayne King voting against it.
Two members of the audience questioned why the city had been allowed to move a building, in violation of its own ordinance. The building in question, an old temporary classroom, had been moved from the school to Williamson Street, and is now used by the youth football program as a lockerroom and storage building.
A member of the East Brewton Assembly of God church was in the audience and told the council that the church would like to use one of the old portable buildings for its youth program."
The approved ordinance will allow the moving of buildings, but not homes.
According to city code officer Lawton Shipp, two of the three contractors who are scheduled to begin work on the Mayo St. project do not have vehicle liability insurance. The issue was brought to his attention because the contracts say they must have the coverage.
According to Shipp, the contractors said the insurance has nothing to do with their work on the homes involved and that according to ADECA, it does not need to be a part of the contracts. The council at first asked Shipp to check with city attorney Bill Stokes, and then instructed him to call the contractors and tell them they needed to purchase the insurance before they could work on the project for the city.
Several residents of Liles Street sent a petition to the council asking for speed breakers on their street. By a vote of 4-2, the council approved the request. Councilwoman Elaine Parker and Palmer voted against the request.
In other business the council;